Restore 1968

Sam Gilliam made Restore with paint on canvas, and right away you notice the way he's working with color, like a conductor leading an orchestra of hues, splattering and pooling, a process of art-making that feels both deliberate and wonderfully free. Up close, you can see the textures, the way the paint sits on the canvas, sometimes thick, sometimes thin, almost transparent. Look at the way the red cascades down the center panel, like a river of energy, clashing and merging with the blues and purples beneath. It’s as though Gilliam is inviting us to witness the very act of painting, not concealing the gesture but celebrating it. Gilliam reminds me a bit of Helen Frankenthaler, both fearless colorists who weren't afraid to let the paint do its thing. Ultimately, art’s about the questions, not the answers, and Gilliam’s work opens up a space for us to wonder, to feel, and to connect.