Acheron 1971

Norman Bluhm made this painting, Acheron, with oil on canvas, using large, soft blocks of colour. I think the beauty of abstract painting is that the process of making it is right there on the surface! Look at that big, hulking mass of dark paint – is it black, or is it green? See all those tiny vertical scratches, like rain? The paint is so thick and matte, it looks like a chalkboard. The whole picture feels very grounded, maybe even heavy, and yet it also has a sense of movement and lightness, in the way those marks seem to be falling. Then there's that pale yellow shape on top, and lilac at the bottom – the colours are like Neapolitan ice cream! Bluhm's paintings are often compared to Joan Mitchell's, and you can see why. Both painters leave so much room for interpretation, and embrace the inherent ambiguity of abstract art.