Interludes Of Color

In 2003, filmmaker Lars Von Trier challenged fellow director Jørgen Leth to remake his film The Perfect Human five times, each with a various challenge, or obstruction, cast over it.

The obstructions were, at times, devious: one version must be shot in the “worst place in the world,” another must be made of shots that last no longer than 12 frames, and another must be animated. Obstructions, the reasoning went, allowed an artist to see artwork from a fresh perspective, and to challenge the artist in ways that were meant to be uncomfortable and existentially compromising.

In his California studio Aaron Westerberg has been painting with obstructions. “I’ve been doing these color studies, these little exercises that I do to expand my understanding of color. I do them at the end of the day, and they’re usually small,” he says. “They’re meant to help me push my color so I give myself a rule—no blending. I have to use intermediate steps to get the colors where I want. There are no shortcuts, and it’s like a little puzzle I need to solve. I’ll typically start with a colored gel light. In one I use a plastic skull and the light-colored plastic really reflects the light, so much that you can really see the color vibrations and harmony. The studies are really informing what I can do with the paint.”