Pink and Indian Red 1946

Adolph Gottlieb made “Pink and Indian Red” with oils, and you can almost smell the paint, can’t you? Imagine Gottlieb in his studio, wrestling with the canvas, building up layers of pinks and those earthy reds. He was part of the Abstract Expressionist movement, and I wonder if he felt the same pressure to innovate as I do sometimes. See how the forms seem to float and shift? Are they figures, symbols, or something in between? I love how a simple circle can feel so charged with meaning. I picture him stepping back, squinting, maybe muttering to himself. That push and pull—the desire to make a mark, to say something, and the doubt that creeps in. It's all part of the process. Painters are always talking to each other across time, sharing secrets and challenging each other. It's a beautiful, messy conversation. And we, the viewers, get to eavesdrop.