Empress 1982

Albert Irvin made this painting called 'Empress' using a symphony of gestural marks and a joyful color palette. I like to imagine Irvin, brush in hand, diving into a kind of dance with the canvas, shifting and stirring paint into a world that emerges through intuition. I can just feel the bold energy of the artist. He’s pushing the boundaries of form and color, layering textures, and splashing color like a kid in a candy store. Look at the raw brushstrokes of red that dominate the composition! They communicate such a feeling, don't they? Maybe Irvin wanted to see how much the painting could hold. His works exist in the tradition of painters like Gillian Ayres and Howard Hodgkin. This piece is part of a longer conversation about what painting can be. It reminds me that art is an ongoing exchange of ideas across time, where we are all inspiring one another’s creativity. It’s an open-ended invitation, offering multiple ways to see, think, and experience the world.