Untitled (9/3/59) 1959

This piece was made by David Smith, probably in his studio, on September 3rd, 1959. Just imagine Smith standing there with his brush, making these raw, gestural marks. He's wrestling with the white of the page, trying to pull something out of it. It's like he's possessed, channeling some primal energy through those strokes. I can feel him thinking, "More energy, more force!" I know that feeling. It’s like you’re using the brush as a weapon, or maybe a divining rod, trying to find something buried beneath the surface. Look at how the black ink pools in some areas and is scratchy in others; that small orange daub at the bottom left feels really crucial. It's as though Smith is reminding himself that he is alive, in color. Smith’s work always reminds me of Pollock, Kline, and the whole gang of action painters, but he brings this very singular, sculptural sense to it all. They were all talking to each other, pushing painting to its limits. It's proof that painting’s always an experiment, a dialogue, a quest.