Untitled 1992

Joan Mitchell made this striking diptych with oil on canvas. She engaged with a very traditional fine art material, yet departed from traditional approaches to painting. Look closely and you will notice that Mitchell favored the loaded brushstroke. She applied color in thick, gestural marks. She also used thinner applications and let the paint drip, exploiting the inherent viscosity of the medium. This was a method associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement, which itself can be seen as a kind of rebellion against the commercialization of art. Mitchell’s method required her to embrace chance and intuition. She made quick decisions, committing each brushstroke to the canvas with remarkable confidence. While the color palette and energetic gestures may appear spontaneous, they reflect an emotional response to her surroundings. Ultimately, this is a work about the process of painting itself. This artwork prompts us to reconsider how materials, making, and context intertwine, challenging conventional boundaries between fine art and craft.