Phenomena Light at the Masthead

Bursts of yellow, red, and green seem to pour across this canvas like liquid light. This is the work of American painter Paul Jenkins, made during the height of the Abstract Expressionist movement that swept through the art world in the mid-twentieth century. Jenkins had a signature trick: instead of using a brush in the usual way, he poured thinned paint directly onto the canvas and tilted the surface to let gravity and movement guide the colors. He often used an ivory knife to coax the flowing pigment into the shapes he wanted, letting the paint find its own path along the way.

The title gives a clue to his thinking. Beginning in the early 1960s, Jenkins named nearly all of his paintings "Phenomena," followed by a few descriptive words. He was fascinated by light, motion, and the way colors could feel alive on their own. Here the glowing yellows and deep reds suggest a landscape or perhaps a sky catching fire at sunset, though Jenkins was never trying to paint a specific scene. He wanted viewers to simply feel the energy and let their eyes wander. Whatever you see in it, the painting rewards a slow and curious look.