Agnes Martin’s paintings are often described as Minimalist: horizontal lines, grids, bands of muted color, repetition, and restraint. She, however, rejected that description of her work and said her paintings were about happiness. I love the distance between those two ideas.

When we look at something and begin to categorize it based on what we recognize, we are limiting what we can see. Yes this is a grid, a limited palette. And if we decide what “belongs” we are removing the opportunity for the infinite possibility that exists within art. Art history includes classifications, and they are helpful. And then when an artist tells us what she was actually thinking about, our world and our perception and understanding of it exponentially expands! And it is exciting! And joyful!

Martin’s paintings ask for time. The longer you look, the less simple they become, and as always with art the more you see. The lines are drawn by hand. The colors shift. What initially appears rigorous can become incredibly tender. The paintings change depending on how close you are to them, how long you stay, and what you bring with you when you arrive.

I have spent my life asking artists questions because I want to understand what they think about when they make what they make. And I am obsessed with intention! Looking tells us one thing. Asking can tell us something entirely different.

I also love that Martin chose happiness as a subject without illustrating it. There are no typical nor recognizable images of what happiness might look like. She understands instead, how abstract the notion is, and thus gives us lines, color, space, repetition, and the opportunity to experience it for ourselves.

What does happiness look like?