Ocean Waves 2005

Ray Howlett made this piece, Ocean Waves, and right away I'm thinking about how the process of artmaking is so much about layering, about building up these little repetitive gestures. Just look at the top of this piece. There's such a build up of these arching lines, like rows of rainbow-tinged waves. The warm tones recede into the distance, creating this tunnel vision effect towards the back of the picture plane. It's almost hypnotic. The lines themselves are so tactile, you could almost reach out and touch them. But then, cutting through all this detail, we have this solid band of cyan, maybe a reflection of the sky? And there, at the peak of the wave, we have this little pop of bright yellow, like the sun is just about to peek through. Howlett reminds me a little bit of someone like Agnes Martin. She also worked with these repetitive forms to create a sense of calm and contemplation. With both artists, it's not about saying one thing. It's about opening up a space for multiple interpretations, for the viewers to bring their own experiences and emotions to the work.