Swim 1967

Jack Bush’s ‘Swim’ is a horizontal expanse of cool blues and grays juxtaposed with warm browns, greens, and yellows that cut across at an angle. Imagine the artist standing there, brush in hand, trying out each color, figuring out how they play off each other and disrupt the grid. I can just see Jack, moving colors around like puzzle pieces, shifting shapes until they lock into place. The beige section reminds me of a long beach and the blue, the summer sky. Then, the stripes of color come and cut through the top corner of the painting. There is a dialogue between flatness and depth, between the planned and the improvised. It reminds me a bit of Kenneth Noland’s stripes, but with a more human touch. The hand is visible. It's like he's inviting us into his studio, into the messy, beautiful process of making a painting. Isn't that the best thing? Artists inspire each other, keeping the conversation going across time.