Violet 1997

Here's a painting by Michel Majerus, in which a big, blurry block of violet, lavender, or light purple seems to be spilling or even raining down the canvas. I can imagine him wrestling with that brush, trying to make the paint do what he wanted, messing up, maybe even throwing a bit of paint in frustration. The violet is thick, applied in broad strokes, while those thin dribbles feel almost accidental, like they're saying, "Oops, I didn't mean to do that." The contrast is pretty striking, right? A lot of white space, too, which makes me wonder if Majerus was thinking about minimalism or maybe even digital interfaces. I think a painting like this is about an artist thinking through feeling, which is something that’s open for anyone. Every artist is in conversation with those who came before, passing ideas back and forth, inspiring each other to try new things, embrace the unexpected, and see what happens.