Untitled 1994

Emily Kame Kngwarreye, who was born in 1910, made this untitled painting with acrylics, and, gosh, you can just feel the energy in it. I can imagine her standing in front of the canvas, brush in hand, really feeling the colors as she applied them. The red and yellow dance together, creating a warmth, with pops of green peeking through. It’s like she’s channeling the landscape, the desert perhaps, with its fiery sunsets and hidden life. I particularly love how the paint is applied in these vertical strokes, kind of loose and free. There's a rhythm to it, a sense of movement that keeps your eye traveling up and down, up and down. You know, painting is like a conversation. Artists across time are constantly riffing off each other. It’s not about having the final word, but about keeping the dialogue going. What a great gift!