Untitled 1966

This is one of Dan Christensen’s paintings, and what strikes me is the combination of looseness and rigid structure. Look at how the dark marks hover on the surface, each one a little different, but together forming a pattern. The surface is key here. There’s a kind of pushing and pulling, and I’m really drawn to the way the paint seems to both sit on top of and soak into the canvas, creating a subtle texture that invites you in. See how each dash is slightly imperfect, wavering, a testament to the hand that guided it. It’s like a conversation, not just between the colors, but between intention and accident. The repetitive mark-making speaks to minimalist art, but the imperfect touch relates it to the human. It reminds me a little of Agnes Martin, who also used grids, but with a very different touch. Christensen shows that painting can be both systematic and deeply personal.