Easter Lily 1956

Jay DeFeo made this painting called ‘Easter Lily’ with broad gestural marks in a palette of greys, whites and blacks. You can almost see DeFeo feeling her way around the canvas, shifting and testing as the image emerges. I can imagine her, brush in hand, maybe moving back and forth, considering each stroke, each layer, in what must have been a really intuitive process. The paint is applied thinly in some areas and then built up in others, especially around that central black form, which might be the heart of the lily, or maybe it's just pure abstraction. That single, bold stroke that angles in from the left – it’s so full of energy and intention, like she's not just painting a shape, but also trying to communicate a feeling. DeFeo was a real risk-taker, and this painting speaks to that part of her. Painters are always talking to each other, even across time, and they are also having conversations with themselves. It’s all about embracing that ambiguity and uncertainty, leaving room for multiple readings and interpretations.