Number 82 1961

Editor: Here we have Morris Louis's *Number 82*, a 1961 acrylic on canvas painting. There's something almost serene about those vertical rivulets of colour against all that untouched canvas... a calming waterfall, almost. What do you make of this piece? Curator: Oh, serenity’s a good starting point, though I think Louis wants to complicate things. He was always wrestling with the sublime and the ridiculous, the planned and the accidental. See how the colours almost hesitate at the top before surrendering to gravity? It's like a visual haiku—a moment of stillness before the plunge. Does that resonate at all, or am I just lost in my own interpretations again? Editor: I see what you mean! There’s that tension. Like a controlled release. How does this fit into the Colour Field movement then? Curator: Colour Field was all about large scale and pure hues. It's as if the canvas becomes a field for colour to exist and interact on its own terms. He’s manipulating the flow, staining the canvas directly to abolish any sense of brushstroke or traditional composition. The 'all-over' feeling rejects any one point of focus – it becomes an immersive experience. Do you find yourself drawn into that emptiness around the colours as much as the colours themselves? Editor: I think so! The emptiness kind of *emphasizes* the color even more. I came in thinking it was simple, but the conversation has really shown how it achieves balance! Curator: Balance, yes! A precarious balance achieved through apparent spontaneity, years of dedication and experimentation...Art always surprises you! It seems we found another jewel in the colorfield.