Self Portrait in a Paris Bath House 1971

Beauford Delaney imagined himself in paint in "Self Portrait in a Paris Bath House", and it's all yellows and reds, thick and drippy. I can almost feel the heat and moisture of the room. Look at the way he's used the brush, dabbing and swirling, like he's trying to capture not just what he sees, but what he feels. Is that a snake in the background? Or just a squiggle of paint that took on a life of its own? I know how that goes! It feels like he's showing us something deeply personal, not just a likeness, but a glimpse into his soul, maybe even his sense of humor. Delaney was part of a whole scene of artists, all riffing off each other, trying to find new ways to make marks. I am sure he knew the work of other artists of his generation, such as Jackson Pollock, whose works also make us think about what it means to be human. It's like they're all in this big, ongoing conversation, inspiring each other across time. Painting is like that, it’s not about perfect answers, but about embracing the questions.