Dibirdibi Country 2007

Sally Gabori, who lived from about 1924 to 2015, made this painting, Dibirdibi Country, with what looks like acrylic paint. It's a striking composition of bold colors. You can really see the artist’s hand in the application. The marks are thick and direct, and you can see how the paint has been dragged and layered, giving it this raw, energetic feel. Looking closely, the yellow really vibrates. It's like the whole painting is breathing with this color, and then you've got these contrasting areas of red, white, and black that pop against it. I love how the white paint seems almost sculptural. It’s dabbed on with a really loaded brush, and this adds to the overall texture and makes it almost three-dimensional. I am reminded of the work of Joan Mitchell, with her raw, expressive gestures. Gabori shares a similar immediacy. Both artists embrace the act of painting as a way of accessing a deeper sense of place. Ultimately, this painting embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations over fixed or definitive meanings.