Morning Fan 1971

Judy Chicago’s "Morning Fan" is a pastel dreamscape built from grids and gradients. I can imagine the artist gently coaxing these colors together, blending until they achieve this delicate balance. What was she thinking as she built this up? This reminds me of Helen Frankenthaler's soak-stain canvases, or even Agnes Martin’s grids. But the focus here is on the subtle shifts of color. The way the pinks, yellows, and blues seem to breathe into one another, like a hazy sunrise. It’s as if the painting itself is exhaling. Look at the edges of each square: the gentle transition of colors speaks to a kind of patience, a meditative process. Artists are always in conversation, each one building upon the ideas of those who came before, and it’s exciting to see Judy Chicago's take on color and form. Painting is a process which embraces ambiguity and uncertainty. There is room for all interpretations and meaning.