Thaw 1957

Lee Krasner made "Thaw" with looping lines and vibrant blotches of colour. It feels like she was in the studio, pushing paint around, trying things out, not really knowing what was going to happen. I can see her making a mark, then reacting to it, building up the surface. I imagine Krasner thinking about how to make a painting that could hold all the energy of spring. There's these intense pinks and greens, but also a sense of rawness, like it's all just barely contained. I love the way she lets the paint drip and smudge, embracing the messiness of the process. That turquoise splash near the top feels so decisive, like a punctuation mark. It reminds me a little of Joan Mitchell, in the way she uses colour to create these explosive, emotional landscapes. Painters are always talking to each other, even across time. Krasner must have known she was part of a bigger conversation. And this painting—it’s part of that ongoing exchange, a reminder that painting is about feeling, thinking, and making all at once.