Untitled 1968

This untitled painting was made by Joan Mitchell, we're not sure when, and I find it so compelling because it's all about how colors play together on the canvas, like a visual symphony. The way Mitchell uses these colors is so physical. The paint is applied with a real sense of energy. Look at the big dark blue shape in the upper right – it's like a gravity well, pulling your eye in, but it's also surrounded by these explosive bursts of color. The surface is alive, with drips and splatters that show the process of making, nothing is too precious. I'm reminded of Helen Frankenthaler, another painter who wasn't afraid to let the paint do its thing. These works are not just about color, but about the sheer joy and messiness of painting.