Playa

Helen Frankenthaler made 'Playa', an oil on canvas, and like much of her work, it's about letting the paint do its thing. The ochre and earth tones feel sun-baked, like the canvas itself has been sitting on a beach somewhere. There's a real sense of improvisation here. I love the way she's used line, almost like drawing, to carve out these shapes, some kind of vessel? maybe a figure? But everything's so open, it keeps shifting. The surface is full of texture, little bumps and scrapes that catch the light, giving it a real presence. The red, like a little after-thought, maybe a burst of heat or a splash of something. It reminds me a little of Joan Mitchell, in the way it balances control and chance. It's like she sets up the conditions, then lets the paint take over. It's a reminder that art is never really finished.