Untitled #71 1974

Ray Parker made this painting, Untitled #71, with paint and probably a brush, but look how thin the paint is, almost like dye. There's a delicious pink ground with these cool greens and blues floating on top, and a drippy yellow on the side. The edges of the shapes are blurry, which makes the whole image feel like it's breathing. It's almost like he stained the canvas instead of painting on it. You can really see the process, that each shape was laid down one at a time, and how they relate to each other. See that big green slash? How it just hangs out there, being green and slash-like? I can see de Kooning in there somewhere, or maybe even Helen Frankenthaler. For me, a piece like this is about finding a way to make something new, something totally now, out of what's already there. It's pretty cool.