PH-21 1962

This large oil painting by Clyfford Still is a field of earthy color with bursts of white, blue, red, black and yellow. I can imagine Still making this; he starts with a creamy, neutral ground, and then, in swooping gestures, drags the paint downwards. Look at those marks—those dark masses with their jagged edges! Still’s signature style is so apparent, you can see the knife-like strokes which almost feel violent. I bet he was feeling all sorts of feelings when he made it! There's a real physicality to this; the thickness and texture of the paint invite you to run your hands across the surface. Still's work always feels like a conversation with other painters, a kind of call and response across time. His legacy? It's a reminder that painting is a space for risk, and uncertainty. It’s a space where you can be ambiguous, and vague. A space for multiple readings. What do you see in the image? What do you feel?