Morning Rain 1997

Curator: Good morning. We're looking at "Morning Rain" by Samia Halaby, an acrylic-on-canvas piece created in 1997. Halaby, a significant figure in abstract expressionism, particularly known for her kinetic paintings and explorations of abstraction rooted in nature. Editor: Well, that title certainly fits! My first impression is the light and airy quality. It feels almost ephemeral, like the brief moment right after a rainfall. The pastel colors—the blues, yellows, and pinks—create a very calming, almost dreamlike state. Curator: Exactly. Her choice of these soft colors suggests renewal and freshness. It’s less about depicting a literal scene and more about capturing the feeling, the atmosphere of a morning rain. Rain itself, of course, carries deep symbolic weight. In many cultures it's associated with cleansing, purification, and fertility. Halaby's work taps into those deep-seated connections. Editor: I can see that. Though I'm particularly drawn to how the shapes break down. Look at how each of the distinct marks creates visual vibration through layering, disrupting any possibility of a focal point. There is a balance, maybe even tension, between order and chaos—all created by individual units, small gestures. Curator: Right. These aren't random splatters. It's a very intentional arrangement, like the repeating fractal patterns found in nature itself, think snowflakes or leaf formations, abstracted and reimagined through the language of color and shape. She echoes these systems to explore visual perception in different material contexts. Editor: Perhaps! For me, the fascination resides within its composition which speaks volumes about structure, materiality, form, but not so much symbolic gestures. Curator: Interesting to consider how our personal viewpoints can both converge and diverge while observing Halaby's work. Editor: Indeed. It highlights how visual analysis provides structure and logic while symbol exploration draws into an evocative, deeply-layered experience.