Alamogordo 1960

Jules Engel made this abstract ink drawing, 'Alamogordo' and it strikes me how much it's about velocity and energy. You can almost feel the quick, decisive strokes that build up the image. Looking closer, the textures are amazing, right? The ink pools and spatters, some areas are dense and dark, while others are light and transparent, allowing the white of the paper to breathe through. It's like a dance between control and chance, which is a lot like the process of art making. Check out the way the lines converge and spread. This reminds me a little of some of the energy you see in Franz Kline's black and white abstractions, but Engel brings his own sensibility to it. I find it quite moving that he named this piece 'Alamogordo'. It’s as if he is transforming an event into a kind of expressive notation. Art really embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations, doesn't it?