Brice Marden (b. 1938, USA)
8, 1987-8

How you look at a painting physically is very important. A good way to approach a painting is to look at it from a distance roughly equivalent to its height, then double the distance, then go back and look at it in detail where you can begin to answer the questions you’ve posed at each of these various viewing distances. If you go through a museum and you look at a lot of paintings in that way, it’s like a little dance; it’s almost a ritual of involvement.

It was Marden’s quote above relayed by Godfrey (2009, 355-6) that got him onto this list. For the time being I have a particular interest in what artworks can do in the world apart from presenting their formal qualities – along with the audience’s role in making sense of the work, or even “completing” it. Painting choreographing movements of the audience is one of such things that are of interest for me, thus it feels most relevant to know that other artists have been paying attention to it as well. It is quite peculiar that Marden is prescribes that form of involvement in response to a very traditional presentation – painting hanging on the wall. I’ve been playing with thoughts of more unorthodox presentations myself, but sometimes beauty lies in simplicity.

And yes, it quite nice to see how Marden’s lines are choreographing movement of my eyes as well – and that I could find a yellow painting that could then enable me to say “look, it’s yellow, it’s pertinent to my Yellow Piece”.

References

Godfrey, Tony, 2009. Painting Today. London / NYC: Phaidon.