Cat 1980

Richard Mortensen made this artwork called "Cat" with bold strokes of black paint against a white background. The artist's hand moves swiftly, intuitively. The painting becomes a site of inquiry, not only about the essence of a cat, but also about the act of painting itself. I sympathize with Mortensen, imagining him caught in the dance between intention and accident. He’s thinking about texture, about the sheer physicality of black ink on paper. The thickness and thinness of the paint shapes the experience, giving it emotional and intellectual depth. Each gesture communicates feeling and intention, a deliberate act of translation. Mortensen’s work connects to a longer conversation in painting, across time, inspiring creativity. It's a conversation rooted in ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations rather than fixed readings.