Uriel 1978

Ronnie Landfield made "Uriel" with big, juicy marks, and what hits you first is that crazy color palette. The painting feels like a balancing act. Look at how the warm yellows and oranges in the upper part are kind of echoed by those cooler blues and greens down below, all grounded by the band of dark purple, almost like a horizon line. The paint isn't trying to hide anything; you can see the texture, the way one color bleeds into another. Notice that orange patch near the top, it's like a burst of pure energy, but then it's softened around the edges. It’s a push and pull. Landfield's playing with something that Helen Frankenthaler and Morris Louis were thinking about; about staining and pouring, but with this really personal, almost expressionistic touch. "Uriel" it’s not giving you all the answers, and that's precisely where its power lies.