Free Hand Decorated Wall (Detail) c. 1940

Michael Lauretano made this free-hand decorated wall detail on paper. The palette is restrained, a dance of muted blues, reds, and blacks on a warm, neutral ground. You can imagine the hand moving, almost like automatic writing, guided by the rhythm of intuition. I wonder if the artist was thinking of Matisse when they were making it, maybe even Cy Twombly; both artists letting a line wander and blossom on the surface. The marks are thin, delicate, and playful, capturing the essence of floral motifs without getting bogged down in realism. Look at the line, it almost wiggles as it extends downwards, how the artist allows the paint to quiver and break like a shaky voice. It reminds me that art is an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time. Lauretano’s work speaks to the way painting embraces ambiguity, inviting us to find multiple interpretations and meanings.