Distillation 1973

Helen Frankenthaler made Distillation using acrylic on canvas and wow, it's a masterclass in letting paint do its thing. I mean, look at that stain! It's like she poured pools of thinned-out color onto the canvas and let them soak in, making the canvas itself part of the painting. It’s all about the process. I love the way the yellow seeps into the canvas, creating these soft, blurred edges, and then this darker mauve colour just sits right on the edge. And those thin, almost delicate lines, scratched into the surface, hint at a structure that both supports and undermines the whole thing. Frankenthaler reminds me a bit of Joan Mitchell, with that same willingness to let the paint lead the way, but with a lighter touch. Both of them show us that painting doesn't have to be about representation, it can just be about the joy and the mess of making.