PH-115 1951

Editor: So, here we have Clyfford Still’s *PH-115* from 1951, done with oil paint. At first glance, it’s this massive field of yellow. It’s almost overwhelming, like staring directly at the sun, but in a really compelling way. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: Overwhelming is a good word. But also consider what that yellow hides! Or rather, what it chooses to reveal. Think about what it takes to cover an entire canvas in what appears to be mostly one shade. Is it one shade? Get closer… No! See the undercurrents, the way the light reflects off it? Still wasn’t just painting a colour; he was sculpting with it. The way the canvas breathes, those colours barely there. He’s always searching for… a sensation. Can you feel it? Editor: I think so. It almost vibrates. Is that the point, the sensation? I’m used to looking for themes, hidden meanings, that kind of thing… Curator: Meaning? Sure, that too. But I get the sense he's inviting us to let the canvas speak directly to us. Let go of the need to analyze, feel it instead. Almost like the colours are alive, don't you think? The yellow pulsating against those hints of red and white, like a secret language just at the edges. Editor: It definitely makes me see the power in abstraction in a totally new light, it’s not just about a lack of subject. There's such deliberate, potent expression there. Curator: Precisely! That, perhaps, is the point of abstract expressionism. It’s the purest form of emotive painting because it is all about process, brushwork and feeling. This wasn’t just something for the eye to behold; it’s for the soul, too.