Gesture Paper Painting #2 1975

Robert Motherwell made this ‘Gesture Paper Painting #2’ with paint on paper. You can see the making of the piece in the brushstrokes. The ground is a kind of fleshy cardboard color, punctuated by quick marks in white and black. The painting feels like a process caught in action. Motherwell's blacks are not flat but juicy, you can see the bristles and the way the paint sat on the brush. Touches of white add a sense of volume and give the piece a painterly quality. The marks hover and float on the ground. There's no real depth, but it is very spatial. There’s a conversation happening here, a really interesting conversation between the earthiness of the ground and the floating marks. I am reminded of Franz Kline's calligraphic brushstrokes, both artists use a similar language of gestural abstraction, but Motherwell brings a more personal and intimate feel to the work. It has an awkward, quiet charm.