Blue Green Ground 1961

John Ferren made "Blue Green Ground" with paint, likely oil or acrylic, and probably a brush. What strikes me is how he’s built this lively composition out of these confident strokes – each one a deliberate mark, yet together they feel spontaneous, like a jazz improvisation. The blue background is so flat and calm, and it holds the vibrant chaos in the center, where a riot of pinks, greens, reds, and whites dance and collide. Look closely, and you can see how the colors aren’t blended but laid down next to each other, creating a visual vibration. It is like each stroke is a word in a visual poem, contributing to a cumulative effect that is both energetic and harmonious. Ferren's work has a kinship with other abstract expressionists, like Joan Mitchell, who explored similar territories of gesture and color. But there is something uniquely playful in Ferren's approach. It reminds us that art is often more about asking questions than providing answers.