Amorphous 1973

Adolph Gottlieb made this painting called, "Amorphous," and it’s really about how shapes and colors talk to each other, right? It's like they're having a quiet conversation. The pink background feels almost like a watercolor, so soft, and then BAM, there's this sunny, almost aggressive yellow shape. It's not trying to be anything, just existing. Then, you've got this red dot floating on top, and a thick brushstroke line, almost dripping at the bottom. The paint is thin, washy, in some places, thick and gloppy in others. Look at how the red circle has this hazy edge, like it's vibrating, which contrasts nicely with the hard edge of the red line underneath. It reminds me a bit of Joan Miró, the way he plays with simple forms and lets them float in space. Gottlieb isn't trying to tell you a story, he's just showing you what paint can do. How colors can hum together, or push each other around. And that’s enough, isn’t it?