Composition 1947

Félix Del Marle's "Composition" features layered geometric forms of soft blues and muted yellows painted on a dark olive ground. It looks like it came into being slowly, built up over time with layers of trial and error. I can imagine Del Marle puzzling away at this, pushing forms around, maybe rotating a triangle this way and that, like some kind of cosmic Tetris. The paint is applied in smooth, almost airless layers, giving the composition a sense of depth, as the forms seem to float on the surface. There's something about that large blue circle with a slice taken out of it that really grabs my attention. What does it mean? Is it a planet, an eye, a portal? I wonder if he was thinking about Malevich’s Suprematism, or maybe Léger’s tubular forms; it feels like a conversation with other artists. Ultimately, it is a testament to the magic of painting as a form of thinking, feeling, and dreaming, all rolled into one. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to make sense, it just has to make us feel something.