Lot and Square 2007

Sam Gilliam made this painting, Lot and Square, with acrylic, letting the colors bleed and merge, which is how he made a lot of his paintings. It's almost like the paint had a mind of its own, finding its way across the canvas, deciding its own borders. The paint isn't laid on thick, it's pretty liquid, almost like watercolor but with acrylic's punch. Look at the way the blue sort of melts into the white, creating these soft edges. Gilliam's not trying to hide the process; in fact, he's making it the star. There's this one small panel in the lower right, and it's got these swirling reds and yellows, like a tiny planet caught in a storm. It's a microcosm of the whole piece. Gilliam’s work has this feeling of improvisation, which puts me in mind of the abstract expressionist Helen Frankenthaler, but with its own distinct rhythm. Art's always in conversation, right?