Silent Seasons - Summer 1970

Will Barnet, sometime in the 20th century, made this painting with a quiet kind of flatness and a limited palette. Look at how he sets up this strange scene! I wonder what he was thinking, maybe about Edward Hopper, maybe about Japanese prints, or maybe about his own kids. He was interested in creating flat surfaces and shapes, and this piece is really quite still. There’s a woman, a bird, a bowl, and a bubble, suspended in a balance of tone and shape. The palette is muted, almost grayed out, except for this hit of lime green. That bubble is about to pop, or maybe it just appeared. It seems like Barnet is thinking about time, those silent seasons. The bird is hanging upside down and the woman is blowing. What a moment! It reminds me of a Balthus painting or a dream, and makes me think about all the artists who inspire each other across time.