Milky Way 1966

Walasse Ting made this gorgeous abstract painting, Milky Way, with acrylics and ink on paper. The paint is speckled all over, and it really does evoke the feeling of staring up into the cosmos. He’s using a whole range of colours here – blues, yellows, pinks, and greens – like a vibrant and lively night sky. I imagine Ting standing over the paper, maybe lost in thought, flicking the paint and ink with a brush or some other tool. It’s like he’s trying to capture something ephemeral, something vast and unknowable, in these tiny droplets of colour. Maybe he was thinking about the sheer scale of the universe, or the infinite possibilities it holds? It reminds me of Joan Mitchell’s abstract landscapes, but with a more playful, almost childlike quality. It’s a reminder that artists are constantly in conversation, riffing off each other’s ideas and pushing the boundaries of what painting can do. Ting's Milky Way isn't about answers; it's about embracing the mystery.