Number 13 1965

James Brooks made "Number 13" with paint on canvas, and looking at it, I can feel the energy of its creation, the black shapes emerging out of a white ground. I wonder what it was like for Brooks to make this piece. He’s using a simplified palette of black and white, building a stark contrast. There's a real physicality to those brushstrokes, especially on the right. The texture of the paint looks almost dry, dragged across the surface. The black form on the left? It kind of reminds me of a calligraphic gesture, like he’s writing something, or maybe trying to erase something. The way he lets the paint drip and pool, it’s like he’s embracing the unexpected. Abstract Expressionists like Brooks were in dialogue with each other, and with predecessors like Kandinsky and Miró. They were all part of the same conversation, each pushing painting in new directions. Brooks lets the painting speak, embracing ambiguity and resisting fixed interpretations.