Nulli Secundus 1964

Hans Hofmann made this untitled painting at the Tate using oil on canvas. The way he goes at it, attacking the canvas with these bold strokes of colour – it’s like he's wrestling with the paint, trying to pin down something elusive. Look at the lower part of the canvas, where this vibrant, almost angry red dominates; it feels like a foundation, or maybe a rising tide. Then your eye travels upwards, and you see these other colours. Patches of blue, and swipes of green, all crashing together like some kind of epic storm. Notice how the colours aren’t blended, they sit next to each other, creating this energetic surface. It reminds me a little of Joan Mitchell, the way she throws everything into the mix, not caring about neatness or perfection. It’s like Hofmann is saying that art isn’t about answers, but about the messy, beautiful process of trying to figure things out.