Leen 1974

James Brooks made this beautiful, deep blue painting titled 'Leen' with oil on canvas. The whole piece feels like a process, with all these marks, like a palimpsest with layers of color emerging from underneath. I love how the color is so saturated, almost like a monochrome, but then you notice the subtle variations: the lighter blues pulling forward, the darker blues receding. And those little pops of color near the left – violet, white, black – just enough to disrupt the monochrome and keep things interesting. The texture isn't super thick, but you can still sense the hand of the artist in the way the paint has been dragged and layered. Take a look at the squiggly shape in the right-hand corner with the brushstrokes radiating out. It seems to me that the artist has made a very spontaneous yet controlled piece. 'Leen' makes me think of Joan Mitchell's work – the way she uses color and gesture to create these really emotional, atmospheric spaces. It's like Brooks is having a conversation with her, or maybe with the whole history of abstract expressionism, but in his own unique voice. Ultimately, what I love about this painting is its ambiguity – it's not trying to tell you what to think or feel, but rather inviting you to get lost in its depths.