I decided to choose my subject by walking around the museum and seeing which one called to me. I chose Glisten (1972) by Sam Gilliam because the bright colors grabbed me as soon as I saw it and a feeling of happiness came over me. Sam Gilliam (born 1933) is a well-known African-American painter, innovative in his use of three-dimensional canvases (University of Kentucky), part of the American Abstract Artists group, as well as many other movements, such as the Washington Color movement Field (Malyon). Glisten is a 3-dimensional acrylic on canvas artwork measuring 27 x 73 15/16 x 3 inches (University of Kentucky). The lines in the painting appear painterly, meaning I was unable to find distinct boundaries for them. This seems most evident in the yellow line in the middle right of the chart and in the two blue lines near the upper left corner. I believe he used this form because it is quite common in Abstract Expressionism (Dempsey) to use line in this way. I feel like he is also trying to convey a mood by using this line shape as it adds a certain softness to the atmosphere around him. I can identify mostly organic shapes in the work and don't seem to find any geometric shapes. The paint drips in the bottom left corner and at the top have no visible shape, nor do the stains. I believe the artist focused more on flat shapes specifically on the canvas, as the canvas itself calls upon three-dimensional mass. I see a strong figure-ground relationship between the paint splatters and the colored background. I think the artist did this to achieve a certain effect on the painting. The color used in this work is the most effective element. The artist uses a mixture of primary and secondary colors, but no vis...... middle of paper ......his paint splatters, however, seem to intentionally unbalance the rest of the canvas with its concentration at the top. This allows the eye to not focus on just one place. The artist places a lot of emphasis on color in the painting, as well as the space and texture of the canvas itself. He does this to bring the viewer into his world and express the emotion he puts into words with paint. The painting is non-figurative and is part of the Abstract Expressionism movement. The artist is particularly involved in the American Abstract Artists group. The concept of Abstract Expressionism was very popular at the time and this artist was influenced by other Abstract Expressionist artists, such as Jackson Pollock and Helen Frankenthaler (University of Kentucky). This painting says a lot about the innovative techniques Gilliam used and why he is world famous..