Dibirdibi Country 2007

Sally Gabori made this painting, Dibirdibi Country, most likely using acrylic on canvas, with big bold strokes of color. Looking at this painting, I can almost feel the brush in my own hand, the wrist action, the push and pull of the paint across the surface. It is such a joy to watch what another painter does, stroke by stroke, decision by decision. I imagine Gabori standing in front of the canvas, maybe stepping back, squinting, and then leaning in again to make her mark. You know, painting is like a conversation – one color responds to another, shapes emerge and shift, it is an intuitive and embodied process. There's such a raw energy here, especially in the juxtaposition of the black and pink areas. It reminds me a little of Milton Resnick in its directness. And yet, it’s totally Gabori’s own voice, a voice that speaks to the power of place and memory. I love the way artists keep talking to each other across time, inspiring each other to see and feel and paint.