Black and Blue Stripes 1958

Patrick Heron’s “Black and Blue Stripes” is made with ink, a medium that invites spontaneity and directness, really just the process laid bare. Look at how the black ink sits on the page, sometimes thick and opaque, other times almost transparent, revealing the paper beneath. This isn't about hiding the process; it's about showing the push and pull of the medium. The physicality of the ink, its texture, and how it interacts with the paper—that's where the emotional experience of the artwork lives. See that stripe of blue, how it bleeds slightly into the surrounding black? It's like a little accident, a moment of surprise that adds depth. Heron’s work reminds me of Joan Mitchell, in that both artists aren't just making images; they’re creating spaces for feeling and thinking. Art's always been a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas, inviting us to embrace ambiguity, to find our own meanings within the strokes.