Untitled Drawing #3 1984

Norman Bluhm made this untitled drawing using sweeping, energetic strokes with paint, ink, or maybe even both, it's hard to tell! The colors here feel really immediate, like Bluhm grabbed whatever was around, pinks, yellows, blacks and oranges, and just went for it. Look at how the black kind of looms at the top, all drippy and intense, contrasted against those softer, pastel-like shapes swirling below. There’s something almost volcanic about it, with all that raw energy pushing up from the bottom. Now, focus on where the yellow meets the off-white in the center. See how the paint seems to explode into these tiny, frantic lines? It’s like Bluhm was trying to capture a fleeting moment, or a feeling that’s just about to disappear. It reminds me of de Kooning's messy, uninhibited approach, but with its own distinct flavor. Ultimately, Bluhm reminds us that art is a conversation, an ongoing exchange where nothing is ever really finished or set in stone.