Untitled 2005

This untitled painting was made by Makinti Napanangka, who was born around 1930. I can imagine her holding her brush, loaded with sunny yellow paint, making rhythmic gestures. She lays down stripe after stripe, and then comes back with white, like a call and response, a song of color. I bet she made this in one sitting, her focus and energy pouring out onto the canvas. Looking at the texture, I see the paint is thick, built up, and it makes me think of other painters like Agnes Martin. But Napanangka's hand feels freer, more intuitive. There's a raw energy here, a direct connection to her inner vision. I can almost feel her presence, her spirit, in those wobbly lines. I can imagine her delighting in this process. Artists are always riffing off each other, knowingly or not, across time and space, and each one’s own unique approach adds something new to the conversation.