Straw 1982

Milton Resnick made *Straw* by layering a dominant palette of greens, blues, and yellows into something that feels like a field of energy. Looking at the weave of the painting, I can't help but think about the physical act of its making; the dance between intention and accident, the back-and-forth of adding and subtracting that gives paintings their unique kind of presence. It feels very much like a painting with a life of its own. The word ‘straw’ evokes something light and almost airy, which is interesting because the painting is quite dense. It makes me think about the alchemical transformation of something as simple as straw into something so deeply engaging and immersive. Think of the way Monet built up his waterlilies, stroke by stroke, or how Joan Mitchell layered her colors with such intensity, as if each gesture was a new way of seeing the world. Each artist is responding to and building upon what came before. Paintings like *Straw* remind us that art isn't about fixed answers. It’s an invitation to look, to feel, and to keep the conversation going.