Upon his first encounter with the groundbreaking work of Jackson Pollock, Marc Raphael was struck by the grand scale, vibrant energy, bold color, and abstraction that would ignite a lifelong creative passion. Inspired by the New York abstract expressionists of the 1940s and ’50s, the California-based artist began a self-taught journey into action painting in 1991, channeling the movement’s raw intensity into his evolving style. In his studio, raw, unstretched canvas is spread across the floor, ready to receive the first intuitive gestures of acrylic paint. Diluted pigments seep into the cotton fibers, creating a smooth, tactile ground. Then begins the rapid succession of drips, splashes, and swirling strokes, executed while pivoting around the composition. Each work emerges through a delicate balance of intention and instinct, as formal elements of color, line, and texture steer the painting toward its final form. This fusion of discipline and spontaneity mirrors the improvisational rhythm of jazz, a parallel that has led Raphael’s paintings to be described as “jazz-like improvisations on canvas.”