Untitled

Bursts of blue, slate, rose, and ochre jive and mingle in Joel Shapiro’s Untitled, 2010. Rendered in vibrant pastel, the minimalist geometries of Untitled vibrate against the white page, and there is a sense of weightlessness, a synthesis of rhythm and vivid intensity. His works have been included in the Whitney Biennial, the Venice Biennale, and Documenta, among others, and his sculptures, too, continue his extensive investigation of the connection between form and line. Colour has always been of paramount significance for Shapiro, and he is sensitive to the manifold associations that each tone conjures: ‘You have to watch out with colour. It can become a question of decoration and taste. You have to choose a colour that corresponds with your intent. In an ideal world, you would take a colour and use it, and that is exactly what would happen. But it is not an intellectual decision; it is emotional. I would say that it is pretty much about the colour unfolding as you work. And colour can, of course, change you how perceive the form’ (J. Shapiro interviewed by A. Biswas, Studio International, November 7, 2016). Indeed, in Untitled, form emerges from the colours producing incandescent and exuberant silhouettes.