Untitled 1972

Norman Bluhm made this untitled painting with big, confident gestures and a bold palette of yellow, red, black, and white. I can imagine Bluhm in his studio, attacking the canvas, not knowing where he’s going, but pushing the paint around, figuring it out as he goes. The yellow swathes are like sunshine breaking through clouds, while the red and black form this earthy mass down below. It’s like a landscape turned inside out. Look at the way the yellow drips down, like honey or sap, making a bee line for the red, thick, almost bruised daubs of color. There is a freedom and immediacy to the work, reminding me of other abstract expressionists like Joan Mitchell, who fearlessly let their emotions flow onto the canvas. Paintings like these are a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, where each artist builds upon the ideas and techniques of those who came before, creating something new and unique in the process.