Synchromy No. 6 1914

Morgan Russell made this painting, Synchromy No. 6, with oil paint. It's a big collection of shapes, all butted up next to each other, fighting for space. I can imagine the artist, wrestling with the canvas, pushing and pulling, adding and subtracting. The thick black lines act like scaffolding, but instead of holding things up, they seem to contain the chaos of colors within. It’s like the artist is saying: I'm going to find a way to fit all of this in one space. What does it all mean? The way the artist has applied paint, thick and juicy, gives me a sense of his excitement and frustration. I can just see him trying to arrange the puzzle pieces, trying to reconcile all of his ideas, all of the potential colors. I feel that! And I wonder, what would it be like to allow for that push and pull, that searching? This piece feels part of an ongoing conversation with other painters, where everyone is throwing ideas into the mix. Painting offers such an open space for exploring feelings, thoughts, and visual sensations. It’s a kind of ongoing experiment that embraces uncertainty and ambiguity. And, it's something we can all participate in.