Loon 1971

Editor: So, this is "Loon" by Sam Gilliam, created in 1971. It's a mixed-media piece with lots of acrylic paint. The colours are quite soft and atmospheric. I am getting a subtle emotional pull, but where do I begin to understand the intent behind the composition? Curator: Intent, eh? Sometimes the real magic isn't about deciphering the artist's head but tuning into your own response, like hearing a familiar song for the first time in years. Gilliam was all about freeing colour, letting it flow. What feelings arise for you when you surrender to the wash? Editor: I think there is a flow here. Almost like looking into a pond. I see layers. Curator: Indeed, a kind of chromatic layering! And that tension between control and chaos – beautiful, isn’t it? He was playing with the edges of Abstract Expressionism, pushing past the angst to find something more lyrical. He literally poured paint onto canvases, stained and shaped them, letting the material dictate the direction. There’s an element of chance, a conversation with the medium. Does this chance element shift your impression? Editor: It does shift my impression. Now I’m seeing a celebration of the properties of colour and its ability to evoke mood, rather than a composition built on formal artistic decisions. Curator: Exactly. This piece anticipates an experience rather than dictates one. Art in conversation. Editor: It’s been insightful, making the connection to the materials themselves having a say, and letting go of searching for one, true intent. Curator: Agreed. And perhaps that’s the enduring beauty of art—we all hear something different in the silence.