The lower painting is by Clyfford Still, untitled, and created in 1977. It was one of my favorite pieces that I saw at the MET. It is so simple and minimal, but there is a complexity to it as well. The placement of the marks are so carefully thought out. Its so still and serene. I felt relaxed when I saw it. There is great balance in here. The black mark balances out the red and yellow marks. There is very apparent implied line; the marks feel and look as if they are being pulled together. There is harmony in this painting because she shapes of the marks have a feathery edge to them, fading out, creating a softness throughout the painting. It achieves visual unity by proximity. The elements are placed closely together and that creates a relationship between the marks. It also achieves unity by chaos and control. The shapes are not remotely neat in any way. They are slightly messy, but, the way they are placed on the canvas is very controlled. I think that is what the artist was trying to convey in this painting
These paintings relate because they both achieve visual unity and that marks and line quality are both very bold. They are both abstract and they both convey an emotional reaction: the black and white painting is more messy and angry and complex, and the colorful one has a calm simplicity to it. They are different because while the first painting is very chaotic, the bottom one is controlled and chaotic at the same time. Both paintings have strokes that look very free.
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