White Butterflies Sleep on a Violet Bed 1970

Walasse Ting made “White Butterflies Sleep on a Violet Bed” using a brush and a riot of color. The paint seems to have been flung, scrubbed, and splattered, a real hands-on kind of thing. You can see the action. Up close, you can almost feel the textures. The violet isn’t just violet; it’s built from strokes of blue and pink, creating a depth that vibrates. Look at how the white streaks cut through the violet, like light slicing through a heavy sky. It’s hard to say exactly what tool he used but its definitely direct, no messing around. Ting’s work always strikes me as a conversation between East and West, kind of like Joan Mitchell meeting some ancient Chinese scroll painting. But the point is, it’s a conversation without a clear answer, a back-and-forth that keeps things alive and buzzing.