Untitled 1998

This untitled painting was made by M.F. Husain, using what looks like ink and watercolor on paper. See how the colors bleed and flow into each other? It's like Husain let the water do some of the work, guiding the pigments as they blossom across the page. Looking closely, the paper seems almost thirsty, soaking up the fluid washes of color. The strokes are thin in some places, thick in others, giving the piece a real sense of depth and movement. My eyes are drawn to that band of yellow, right next to the dark mass above, like a burst of sunshine pushing through the gloom. It reminds me a bit of Helen Frankenthaler's soak-stain paintings, but with a more urgent, expressive feel. With abstract work like this, there’s no right or wrong answer, which is kind of the point, right?