Composition with flowers 1924

Curator: Standing here, we have Georges Valmier’s "Composition with Flowers" from 1924, a beautiful example of his work in oil paint. Editor: Well, hello, geometry! It’s like looking at a floral arrangement designed by a very enthusiastic robot. All these crisp shapes against that somber background... gives it this weird tension, doesn’t it? Curator: That tension is key. Valmier was deeply influenced by Cubism and, later, abstraction. You see how he deconstructs the traditional still life, breaking down flowers and their arrangement into essential geometric forms? Editor: Yeah, I get it intellectually, but emotionally, I’m just... confused. I mean, flowers are supposed to be soft and delicate, right? But here they're rigid and almost aggressive. There's something defiant about turning a familiar subject so cold and unfamiliar. Curator: Consider this: Valmier wasn't just painting what he saw, but rather the underlying structure, the mathematical order he believed governed the universe. These shapes, colors—they're symbols, representing a higher reality. Think of the red triangle, perhaps signifying energy, passion, and aspiration... Editor: And that odd, beak-like shape? Is that meant to represent a vase or bird...or what, maybe something else completely? To me it feels ambiguous. It doesn't immediately shout 'flower arrangement', and that's precisely what tickles my brain. It almost dares you to decode it. Curator: And you’re right to question that, the ambiguity is exactly the point. What appears to be a recognizable object has now turned into something else altogether: an entry point into this visual experience with the composition, the balance of shapes, light and colours. Editor: It’s funny, isn't it? We often look to art for answers, but sometimes, like with Valmier, the real value is in the questions it provokes. It’s making me think about how we try to fit the world into neat little boxes, when really, things are much more fragmented and complex. Curator: Absolutely. Valmier challenges us to see beyond the surface, to embrace the abstract nature of existence, and how the world we encounter can transform in our experience, which he beautifully illustrates through his paintings. Editor: So, maybe these aren't just cold shapes after all. Maybe they're little pieces of a puzzle, and we're all invited to play. Curator: A lovely way to describe Valmier's approach!