Ici 1992

Here is a painting titled ‘Ici’ by Joan Mitchell, and just looking at it you know she’s pushing around some serious oil paint. I can imagine the whole process: first a sweeping gesture, then another, each stroke building on the last, sometimes obscuring what came before. See how Mitchell’s touches create a symphony of colours like blues, yellows and oranges? It reminds me of how the seasons change, not gradually, but in bursts. Maybe she's standing back and squinting, deciding whether to let a stroke stay or be wiped away, thinking about what to leave alone. It's not unlike de Kooning and other abstract expressionists who were also interested in the process of painting to communicate feeling, except Mitchell makes her own mark and lets her own wildness come through. It makes you realize artists are constantly riffing off each other, aren't they? It's a continuous exchange of ideas across time. Painting is a form of embodied expression, and this piece embraces uncertainty, letting the viewer interpret its meaning.