Fanny Mae 1965

Emma Amos made this painting "Fanny Mae," and the way she handles the paint, it’s all about the gesture, the movement, and the process. Look at how she applies color; it’s not about blending so much as putting hues next to each other. There’s a real joy in the physicality of the medium. See that curve of blue paint that suggests a piece of fabric? It's so direct and confident, almost like she's sculpting with the brush. It reminds me of the way Joan Mitchell would load up her brush with juicy color and make these bold, unapologetic marks. Both artists share this attitude like painting is something urgent. It's about feeling, about translating energy directly onto the canvas. You get the sense that meaning emerges, not from planning or calculation, but through the act of painting itself. This is art that lives and breathes.