Chrysanthemums 1975

Harmony Hammond made this piece, Chrysanthemums, and I’m immediately drawn to the process visible in it. It’s like watching someone think through making. Up close, this painting becomes a field of relentless gesture. The physical presence of the medium is so striking. You can almost feel the give and take of the artist's hand as they applied each stroke, the paint sits on the surface, refusing to blend seamlessly. See how the texture is built up, layer upon layer, creating this almost woven effect? It's like Hammond is knitting the canvas together with color, and this mark-making gives the piece a real depth. The choice to call it Chrysanthemums suggests a playful relationship with traditional still life. Hammond creates a conversation with art history, pushing against the canon. Art is always a dialogue, right? There are no final answers, just new ways of seeing.