Mix Study #44

Ruben Nusz’s drawing provides a rare invitation to see how a contemporary abstract painter begins the trial-and-error process of mixing forms and colors. Although the work look manufactured, these squares and planes are actually methodically hand-painted. Their punchy hues are placed in close proximity to one another to create new color relationships, including striking and hypnotic contrasts. As one steps back or moves closer to the canvas, Nusz’s unexpected use of trompe l’oeil, or trick of the eye, expertly befuddles flat and three-dimensional space.