Red Poppies 1961

Jules Engel made this painting called 'Red Poppies' with ink, maybe even a brush full of calligraphy ink. I imagine the canvas as a kind of stage where the artist could test out different movements and moods. The surface of the work is really important here - you can feel the back and forth, the push and pull of the composition. The bold black strokes feel like the grounding of the painting; they are big and sure. Then, these gestures of spattering and thin marks of red, feel like a disruption. There's something deeply intimate about the way the hand moves across the surface, leaving behind traces of thought and feeling. I can imagine Engel trying to find the perfect balance between accident and intention. It's like a dance, a call, and response between the artist and the materials, both trying to make something beautiful. And it feels like a conversation, too. Each artist speaks to the ones who came before, like passing the baton in a relay race. Painting is an ongoing experiment, and we are all part of it.