Playa 1950

Helen Frankenthaler made 'Playa', an oil on canvas, and like much of her work, it's about letting the paint do its thing. The ochre and earth tones feel sun-baked, like the canvas itself has been sitting on a beach somewhere. There's a real sense of improvisation here. I love the way she's used line, almost like drawing, to carve out these shapes, some kind of vessel? maybe a figure? But everything's so open, it keeps shifting. The surface is full of texture, little bumps and scrapes that catch the light, giving it a real presence. The red, like a little after-thought, maybe a burst of heat or a splash of something. It reminds me a little of Joan Mitchell, in the way it balances control and chance. It's like she sets up the conditions, then lets the paint take over. It's a reminder that art is never really finished.