It is September 1961. Ellsworth Kelly studies a castor bean, one growing in a container on his rooftop in lower Manhattan, perhaps. The personality of this particular plant attracts him. After examining it carefully, he renders one of its leaves in ink on paper. He draws quickly, conscious of both positive and negative space, which he values equally. The result is a single continuous line highlighting the distinctive shape of the leaf. When the work pleases him, the portrait is done—yes, Kelly considers his plant drawings portraits. If the results are unsatisfactory, he begins anew.
