The Howl of Terror 1967

Ronnie Landfield made this painting, "The Howl of Terror," with an approach to color and mark-making that feels very much like a process, you know? Like a conversation he's having with the canvas. There’s this deep, velvety purple that dominates the top section, kind of like staring into a night sky. Then at the bottom, these horizontal stripes, a mix of whites, blues, and greens, create a grounding effect. I find my eye drawn to the very top of the purple section, this is where you can see these subtle variations in the paint, little shifts in tone that show the movement of the brush. It reminds me a little of Rothko, in its use of color to evoke emotion, but Landfield has his own distinct voice. There’s an ambiguity here; a suggestion of something vast and unknown, and an interesting take on how art embraces multiple interpretations.