Vue abstraite 2016

This is a mixed media piece on canvas by Cricorps with an intricate mosaic of colour. I can just imagine the artist building up the surface, each cell a different shade, laid down like a puzzle piece. There's a push-pull between representation and abstraction here, isn’t there? The subject matter of an abstract view of something, perhaps a landscape, dissolves into the act of painting itself. I feel the artist, born in 1953, has tried to capture a sensory impression of the environment - the light, the colors, the feeling of being in nature without literally depicting it. I'm reminded of other artists who explore abstraction as a means of emotional expression, like Kandinsky or Kupka. The lower part of the canvas feels grounded by the upright lines, while the rest seems to float, each form like a shimmering jewel. It speaks to the ongoing conversation painters have with the world, translating it into form, colour, and feeling.