Large-small, thick-thin, light reflecting, light absorbing 19

As the title of this work suggests, Ryman’s paintings delight in exploring the physical properties of the materials constituting them and their interactions with light. Working within a limited selection of visual devices—including a white palette and square format—the artist relentlessly explored the nuances of painting to reveal its infinite possibilities. Here, Ryman experimented with a range of unconventional, commercially available materials including wood, Bin primer, epoxy, and shellac. Left unpainted at the borders, the wood surface of the support frames a glossy white, square painted area. Underlayers peek out at the edges, offering insights into Ryman’s process by revealing the thinly applied, brighter white of exposed primer beneath the highly reflective surface of the epoxy. The texture of the wood grain support asserts itself through the painted layers, yet under certain light conditions, the surface appears remarkably smooth and uniform, almost incandescent, as it reflects light evenly back to the viewer.