One Long Look/Una mirada con calma: Sam Gilliam, Breeze, 1967

Sam Gilliam (1933–2022) was an American abstract painter known for his innovative process-driven approach to color and form. Beginning in 1967, Gilliam developed his signature beveled edge or slice series, in which he poured liquid pigment directly onto unprimed canvas, then folded the material while wet to create unpredictable color interactions. This method—sometimes evolving over weeks—merged intuitive gesture with controlled manipulation, allowing the artist to balance accident and intention. Gilliam's practice challenged conventional notions of the canvas as a flat support, exploring instead how temporal processes and material behavior could generate abstraction.