Black Shapes 1961

Robert Motherwell made this, Black Shapes, with ink on paper and there's an immediacy that just leaps out. It’s like a snapshot of a thought. The stark black ink against the bare paper, it's all about the gesture, isn't it? That horizontal slash at the top feels like a horizon line, or maybe a weight, pressing down on those ambiguous shapes below. Are they figures? Are they just...blobs? That's the beauty of it; the ink bleeds and pools, creating these rich, velvety blacks. Look at how he flicks the brush, creating these tiny explosions of ink. It's like he's capturing the energy of the moment, the pure physicality of making a mark. I'm reminded of Franz Kline, but with a bit more vulnerability. Motherwell lets the messiness show. It feels honest, like he’s inviting us into his process, into the messy, beautiful act of creation.