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The compositions became less complicated, with larger color areas, although perhaps contrasted with smaller forms. Even so, the feeling of spontaneity was retained, but in addition the results appeared more alive, almost rhythmical in feeling. James Brooks' painting has changed and developed over the years.
Now, in the 70's, instead of small, lyrical, interwined forms, thee are more simplified, dynamic, large forms making a string, positive statement.  His method of working has changed, too. He stars his canvases on the floor because he is using a very liquid paint as a ground, which is usually black.
Then white is laid over the  black in areas, making gray, then more white is added so when later painted upon it is like using color on a white ground which brings out its brilliance.  Sometimes the ground might be a color such as in "Fangle", 1973, which had an orange ground, and "Persolis", 1973, which has strong, brilliant orange-red and was worked over a red ground.  Brooks then tacks the canvas on the wall.  While painting, if the canvas begins to lose its freshness, he can turn it on its side or upside down and continue painting.  As he says, " Which side is 'up' never concerns me."  He can now keep two or three canvases going by stopping work when he seemingly cannot resolve an area and works on another painting.  Now, he says that when he returns to the first painting, in a day or two, he sees it anew or assesses [[deleted asses]] it with a fresh vision.  Jim said, "Painting is just excruciatingly impossible, you know, because you never know, at least I never know, where I'm going. That's the interest of it also, I realize. That's the way discoveries happen, but nevertheless it's living in an area of doubt all the time, an area of not knowing what can happen or what should be done to a painting.  I just put the first strokes on the canvas and it's up to the canvas to do at least half the rest of the work on it, and I think it is true that you have to feel that the canvas does have an ego that is at least as important as yours. You can't violate it; you have to take its suggestions and treat it like a real thing, you know, like a real person, like a real entity; unless you do you kill it, of course.  If you force it or you are too willful, you force the style of it; you force it into something that has nothing to do with you and so it has nothing to do with itself either. A very