Wave 1971

Sam Gilliam made this watercolor on paper, titled "Wave," sometime in his career. There’s a central rectangle of softly blended greens and blues that bleed into one another, like gazing into deep water. Gilliam’s process feels very present, like we are seeing the movement of water on paper, not water as a ‘subject’ but as a method. The edges of the paper are adorned with a playful smattering of pinks and yellows, a stark contrast to the solemnity of the central greens. The watercolor is thin, almost transparent, and the paper is visible, grounding us in the physicality of the medium. I am drawn to the way Gilliam uses color to evoke emotion. Looking at the bottom left corner of the rectangle, I notice how the darker greens pull forward, adding depth and texture. It reminds me of Helen Frankenthaler’s soak-stain paintings, where color becomes one with the canvas, blurring the line between painting and sculpture. This piece feels like a conversation between color, process, and emotion.