Untitled 1955

This, Untitled, by Nicolas Carone, is all sweeping brushstrokes and drips of black paint on canvas. It is all about gesture and immediacy, about what happens when you commit to a mark and follow where it leads you. I love how Carone lays down paint, letting it run and pool in some areas, while elsewhere, the brush seems almost dry, leaving a scratchy, textured surface. There's a real physicality to it; you can almost feel the artist's arm moving across the canvas. Look at the upper left of the canvas, at those drips. They feel so deliberate, so much a part of the composition. They are like little black icicles! Carone's work reminds me a little of Franz Kline, but with a slightly more organic, flowing feel. I see it as a reminder that painting is always a conversation, with artists riffing off each other, building on the ideas of those who came before, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Ultimately, it is all about the process.