Piano mécanique 1958

Joan Mitchell made "Piano Mécanique" with oil on canvas. I love the way she's wrestling with the push and pull of color and line in this one, it feels like she’s letting the painting almost make itself! There’s so much white peeking through, it's like a breath of fresh air amidst the organized chaos. And speaking of chaos, those marks! Some are thick, juicy strokes, others are thin, almost scratchy lines. Look closely, and you can almost see the ghost of her process – the way she layered and scraped, built up and broke down. See that cluster of green down at the bottom? It anchors the whole thing, but then your eye just zips right back up into the fray. She reminds me a bit of Twombly, but with more guts, somehow. What do you think? Anyway, it’s a testament to the endless possibilities of paint. It’s not about answers, it’s about the questions.