Laney 1972

James Brooks made this untitled painting, Laney, with oil paint on canvas. Look at the way Brooks approaches mark making. It's all about process, a dance between intention and accident. The colours are bold, primary even, but they're laid down in a way that feels spontaneous, almost accidental. There's a real physicality to the medium, the paint is thick in some places, thin in others, creating a surface that's alive with texture, for instance the circle, a green-white form in the upper left corner. It's built up from layers of brushstrokes, a swirl of textures that almost feels like a topographical map. Is that a full moon? This is a perfect example of how Brooks' work isn't about fixed meanings, but about embracing ambiguity. Brooks has echoes of painters like Joan Miró, who also knew how to make art look like play. Art becomes an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas that stretches across time.