Plate I from the portfolio Vulcanalogies 1970

This is "Plate I from the portfolio Vulcanalogies" by Pierre Alechinsky, we don't know when it was made but we know it was printed. The whole composition looks like it was built up from very basic gestures, almost childlike. The palette is quite limited, mostly muted greens and pinks, but it's the inky dark blue that really grabs you. The texture in this piece feels really important. The green background is applied so thinly, but look how the darker blues have a sheen, they have clearly been applied more thickly to create the image. I like how Alechinsky uses these elements to create this odd, snake like creature in the middle. The way it loops and curls on itself almost implies movement and the two red dots for eyes and the red slashes for a mouth give it personality. There’s a sense of freedom and playfulness in this work, a dialogue between form and formlessness, control and chance. This piece is reminiscent of Joan Miró, another artist who embraced the power of the subconscious.