St. Albans 1976

Sam Gilliam made "St. Albans" with layers of horizontal brushstrokes in a vibrant palette of reds, blues, and oranges. Imagine the sheer physicality of applying these strokes, the rhythm of layering color upon color, shifting and emerging through intuition and maybe even some happy accidents. I can’t help but think about what Gilliam might have been thinking while making this piece. The paint is applied in such a way that it creates an almost textured surface, inviting you to reach out and touch it. The colors vibrate against each other, creating an energy that is both dynamic and harmonious. It reminds me of Helen Frankenthaler's soak-stain technique or even the late works of Turner, where color and light dissolve form. There’s a conversation happening here across time and between artists, each inspiring the other, pushing the boundaries of painting as a form of embodied expression. Gilliam embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple readings that are never quite fixed.