Ebb & Flow 2018

Camilla d'Errico made "Ebb & Flow", sometime in the 20th century, and it's a real trip into the feels. The way the colors swirl and drip, you get this sense of emotions just flowing out, like artmaking itself. There's something so tactile about the paint here; it looks thick and juicy, especially in the hair. Those blues and pinks aren't just sitting there, they're melting, moving, doing their thing. Then you have the contrast with the smoother skin, which makes the whole thing feel so alive and immediate, like a performance of emotion. Look at how a few of the drips also have these little explosions that feel very impulsive, like little thoughts or feelings bubbling up and bursting. This reminds me of some of Francis Picabia's later paintings, the way he let figures emerge from the paint, with a similar kind of raw and uninhibited energy. It’s all about embracing the mess and seeing what comes out of it.