Untitled 2002

Sam Gilliam made this artwork with paint and some kind of flexible material that he’s folded and arranged to create a burst of colour and form. The way he allows the colors to bleed and blend into one another is so process-oriented, like watching dye spread through water. Look at the mix of hues where the blue meets the gold; it's as if the colors are having a conversation, each influencing the other. The material itself, with its creases and folds, adds another layer of texture and depth. It's not just about the colors, but also the way the light catches on those surfaces, creating shadows and highlights that shift as you move around it. In some ways, this reminds me of Helen Frankenthaler's soak-stain paintings. Both artists let the paint do its thing, embracing chance and fluidity. But where Frankenthaler worked on a flat plane, Gilliam takes painting into three dimensions, pushing the boundaries of what a painting can be. It’s as if the conversation around abstraction just keeps unfolding, each artist adding their own voice to the mix.