Movement East to West 1956

Adolph Gottlieb made this painting, "Movement East to West," using oil paint. The painting is divided horizontally, with a creamy, off-white area above and a vibrant red below. In the upper section, there's a green rectangle on the left and three circles – black, green, black. What Gottlieb is doing here, I think, is pulling apart the idea of painting, right down to its basic elements of color, shape, and composition. Down below, the red zone is alive with spontaneous marks. Squiggles and dashes of black and white dance across the surface. The texture is rougher, the paint thicker, and you can almost feel Gottlieb's hand moving quickly, intuitively. Look closely, and you'll notice how the red isn't uniform, it shifts and changes, creating depth and movement. In some ways, it reminds me of Miro, but maybe a bit more reserved. I love the way the surface invites you to get lost in the process. It's not about a perfect image; it's about the energy of creation.