Golden Presence 1961

Richard Pousette-Dart made this painting, called Golden Presence, with who knows what! It looks like a field of tiny marks, almost pointillist, shimmering with gold and earth tones. I like to imagine him, totally absorbed, building up the surface, one little daub at a time. The texture is key here; it's not flat, not smooth. Those little dots create a kind of optical vibration. Look closely at the center; the gold seems to pulse, right? That one spot expands out, radiating energy. It reminds me of a Rothko, but instead of floating rectangles, it’s this all-over field. Thinking about the title, Golden Presence, it's not just about the color. It's like Pousette-Dart is trying to capture something beyond the visible, some kind of…aura? Definitely reminds me of the mystical turn in Agnes Martin's work, too. Art is always about this ongoing conversation!