Bourbon loves 2018

Mariojosé Ángeles made Bourbon loves with paint, sometime after 1965. Look at the way the colors bleed and blend; it’s all about the process here, a kind of letting go. You can almost feel Ángeles feeling their way through it. The texture is smooth, and the colors are mostly transparent, which gives it a dreamy, almost underwater feel. The physicality of the medium is so present, it's like the paint is still moving. Check out the splatters of red on that big, blue-grey blob. They're so casually placed, yet they add this jolt of energy that really makes the piece pop. It’s like a little accident that turned into a beautiful moment. It puts me in mind of Helen Frankenthaler's soak-stain paintings, but with a surreal twist. Ultimately, this piece is a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, and there’s always room for ambiguity.