Small's Paradise 1964

Helen Frankenthaler made this painting, *Small’s Paradise*, using acrylic on canvas in a way that feels totally intuitive and process-driven. It’s like she’s letting the colors and shapes find their own way. The colors are so free and the paint is soaked right into the canvas. Look at the way the orange blob sits on top of that juicy blue line. It's like she's saying, hey, let's see what happens when these colors hang out together. The canvas feels almost stained, which is cool because it's like the painting is part of the fabric itself. There's this feeling of immediacy, like she just went for it, no second-guessing. It reminds me a bit of Joan Mitchell, another painter who wasn't afraid to let loose with color and gesture. But Frankenthaler’s got her own thing, a kind of breezy confidence that makes you want to jump right into her paradise. It's like she’s inviting you to see the world in a totally fresh way, no rules, just pure feeling.