Static 2 1966

Bridget Riley made this piece, Static 2, with what looks like incredible patience and precision. It’s a field of tiny dots on a pale background, and the way they’re laid out gives the whole thing a kind of hum. Up close, you can see how each dot is slightly different, like each one is breathing its own little rhythm. The surface is calm but alive, and that’s how Riley gets you, right? She takes something simple, a dot, and turns it into a whole world of looking. It reminds me of Agnes Martin, how she made so much from so little. But where Martin is all quiet and whispery, Riley has got this buzz, this energy that makes your eyes dance. It's like she's saying, hey, look again. Things aren't always what they seem.