Untitled 1957

David Smith made this untitled work with ink on paper. The image is dominated by these gorgeous, bold gestural marks in black against the white of the page; it’s like watching a dance unfold. I can imagine Smith’s process – maybe he stood up, moved around the paper, letting his arm swing freely. Did he pause, reflect, and then dive back in, or was this done in one go? These lines aren’t precious; they are like thoughts forming, each stroke building upon the last. The ink looks lush, and the contrast is stark, immediate. I think about Franz Kline, another painter with a similar sensibility. Look at that looping stroke in the lower part of the image: it's so confident and fluid. It communicates movement, energy, and intention. All painters are in conversation. The painting is so visceral! It embraces ambiguity and uncertainty and refuses any definitive reading.