Kerity Landscape 1927

Louis Marcoussis painted "Kerity Landscape" with oils, and you can see how he's really pushing and pulling at the space, just like I do with my own painting. The painting is all about layers and seeing what happens when they meet. Look at that wall on the left, a big block of white with a boat nestled next to it. It's almost like a stage set, with the landscape arranged behind it. The colors are muted, like a hazy memory. But it's those blocky shapes and thick textures that really grab me. The dark wall that runs across the middle, for instance, looks like it was sculpted with a palette knife. It reminds me a bit of Juan Gris, another Cubist who was fascinated by the way shapes can create depth and volume. But Marcoussis brings his own sense of playfulness to the game. It's a painting that invites you to get lost in its puzzle-like composition, to wander through the spaces between things.