Using their principles to critique this recent painting
The Ground That Refuses to Remain Ground
At first glance, the bottom thick golden strokes read collectively as a stabilizing base — a horizontal field, almost architectural, like a boat holding everything above.
This gives the painting structural coherence.
But on closer viewing, that coherence dissolves. The “field” reveals itself to be composed of:
• Uneven, discontinuous strokes
• Independent gestures
• Non-unified material events
This creates what Hofmann would call plastic ambiguity.
The base both:
• Holds the painting
• And structurally cannot fully hold it
This produces a dynamic of variability. That uncertainty activates the entire structure above.The atmosphere now feels suspended — not grounded.
Variability Aligns with Adorno’s Concept of “Constellation”
Adorno described artworks as constellations—configurations of elements that relate but never fully resolve into a single, reducible meaning.
The base functions as a constellation:
• It reads collectively from a distance
• It differentiates upon closer perception
• It oscillates between unity and plurality
This oscillation is exactly what prevents the work from becoming closed or fully reconciled.
The painting remains open, which Deepens the Temporal Experience of the Work
The viewer’s perception evolves:
• First, unity
• Then differentiation
• Then recognition of coexisting coherence and variation
This unfolding preserves the painting’s vitality over time. Adorno believed that authentic works resist immediate consumption. They reveal themselves gradually.
Art by Kate W 