Nine Squares (for Ellsworth Kelly)

Green yellow red orange blue black
mint purple melon value rhyme
Square square square white disguised abstract
space darkness pattern lightness time

Leaf flower fire sun sky at night
green yellow red orange blue black
Shape shape shape depth becoming height
line shadow watch follow turn track

Meadow sunset fruit ocean park
edge edge edge direct dividing
Green yellow red orange blue black
iridescent eye wings flying

Tree beetle rose coral bird stone
look look look choose repeat sing laugh
Random change balance color form
green yellow red orange blue black

I wanted to acknowledge the life and work of Ellsworth Kelly, who died in December.  Of course:  the grids!  the colors!

For my own “Nine Squares” I divided each square into 16 tiny squares, producing not the flat color of Kelly’s painting, but a close approximation of each color from the things I had cut out in my collage box.  Which seems apt; I’m working from a photo of the original, so the colors are probably only similar to what is on the canvas anyway.  I did paint the background with white paint, which is something I haven’t done before.

If this collage seems to recall my “100 grids” project, it’s for good reason:  Kelly himself was influenced by both Dada and John Cage, and his multicolored grids were often randomly generated.

But Kelly also produced beautiful and simple botanical drawings, paintings, and prints throughout his life.  He admired Matisse, and it shows in these works.

And when he deemed a drawing a failure, he would cut it up and make something new from it.  I’ll have to steal that idea I think…

The poem is a response to Jane Dougherty’s challenge this week to write a quatern.  I have been changing it continuously since I started it, and I think this will continue for awhile.  So:  in process.  It will keep evolving.

“When I see a white piece of paper, I feel I’ve got to draw.”
–Ellsworth Kelly