Dido 1973

Norman Bluhm made this painting, Dido, layering shapes in different colours. It's a kind of dance on the canvas, a record of the artist's movements and decisions. The texture here is what grabs me: those visible brushstrokes, the way the paint seems both thick and thin in different areas. You can almost feel the physicality of the medium, the way Bluhm pushed and pulled the paint across the surface. Look at that swooping gesture of pale blue - it's like a quick, impulsive mark, but it defines the shape and feel of the whole piece. It relates formally, and metaphorically, to the rest of the image. I'm reminded of Helen Frankenthaler, especially in the way Bluhm lets the colours bleed and merge, creating a sense of openness and ambiguity. It’s about an ongoing exchange of ideas that rejects definitive meaning.