Storm Driver 1963

John Hultberg made this monochromatic print called Storm Driver, and what strikes me is its dance of dark and light, a real push-and-pull. The white areas aren't just empty space; they're active, almost aggressive participants in the composition. Looking closely, you can see how Hultberg uses texture to create depth. Some areas are smooth and almost flat, while others have a rough, scribbled quality, like the artist was attacking the surface. Those angular shapes in the lower portion, they feel like they're jutting out at you, while the upper part of the image feels like it’s receding into a storm cloud. That solid black silhouette at the top—is it a figure? A building? It anchors the whole piece, giving a focal point to all that chaos. It reminds me a bit of some of the early Abstract Expressionists, like Franz Kline, who also used bold, gestural marks to create dynamic compositions, but the illustrative nature of Hultberg's forms sets it apart. Art, after all, is just a never-ending conversation between artists, each one adding their voice to the mix, and leaving plenty of room for us, the viewers, to interpret.