Wave 1971

Sam Gilliam created this unnamed work on paper, or Wave as some call it, with a range of media, probably paint, dyes, or inks, maybe watercolor, who knows? The colors are soft and watery, moving from yellows and greens to blues and purples, with this cool border of mottled pinks and greens. I can imagine him soaking the paper, staining it, letting the colors bleed and merge—pouring and manipulating the medium in a controlled, yet spontaneous way. I'm really struck by the delicacy of this piece, and how it seems to breathe. Gilliam was known for his draped canvases, and I wonder if he was thinking about those larger works while making this. Maybe he was exploring similar ideas of space, color, and movement on a smaller scale. It feels like a study for something bigger, but also like a complete statement in itself. It makes me want to go into the studio and experiment with different materials, and let the process guide me. Because that’s what painting is, a constant conversation, a wave passing between artists across time.