Composition 1957

Afro made this painting, called Composition, in 1957, using oil paint. What I notice right away is how Afro lets the energy of his marks dictate the piece. It’s all about the doing, the moving around of the paint, the scraping, the layering. The colors here are really working for me. The way the white and gray almost cancel each other out, creating this hazy ground for the deep red and bold black to pop. Look at how the red isn’t just one flat tone; there are flecks of white peeking through, giving it this incredible texture. The black lines feel urgent, like they’re holding everything together, but also pushing it apart. It makes me think of Cy Twombly, but with a tighter, more contained energy. You get the sense that Afro is really wrestling with the materials, letting the paint itself lead the way. It's this push and pull, this conversation between control and chance, that makes painting so alive.