Hayley Plack blogs about the exhibition Jules Olitski: Revelation: Major Paintings at American University Museum, Washington D.C., on view through December 16, 2012.

Plack writes: "Painting was a spiritual experience for Olitski. He describes, 'I’ve come to believe that this power I can surrender to in my studio is indeed a higher power.' Beyond the playful colors and pleasing compositions, the artist reveals a serious and emotional side through his works. Through the exhibition, it becomes clear how the word ‘revelation’ is tied to Olitski. It may refer to the revelation that Olitski had each time he sat in his in studio and was struck with an idea, or the revelation of each new stylistic chapter of painting, or the revelation of a new means of applying paint whether it be via spray gun, roller, leaf blower or using his own hands. Through experimentation in paint, Olitski continued to challenge his own aesthetic and push the limits of abstraction."