The So Called Angel 1961

Grace Hartigan made this print, 'The So Called Angel,' with lithographic ink on paper. I’m thinking about Grace in the studio, pushing the ink around, adding turpentine, maybe, and seeing what happens. There is a real back-and-forth energy, the kind you find in de Kooning’s work, where every stroke is both a statement and a question. The big brushstrokes and colour palette of oranges, purples, and blacks give a feeling of improvisational jazz. I wonder if she ever felt like she was wrestling with the image, trying to make sense of it, and then, bam, there it is! The mark making feels as though it’s constantly shifting and emerging. The T shape at the top, almost like a road sign, is like a bold declaration. It reminds me of Helen Frankenthaler, and all those other painters who were unafraid to experiment, pushing the boundaries of what painting could be. It’s like they’re all in conversation, riffing off each other, and inspiring each other’s work.