Untitled 1943

Jean-Michel Atlan made this untitled painting, and it’s like a peek into his process, a real hands-on affair. The surface is alive with texture – you can almost feel the thick paint piled on, and see the trails of his tools. The colors are deep and earthy, but then he throws in these jolts of blue and yellow that really pop. There's a red shape at the top, framed by dark lines like teeth, and it really vibrates against the gloom. For me, it's like a reminder that even in the darkest places, there's always a spark of something intense. Atlan reminds me of other artists who were also interested in the subconscious, like Joan Miró, with that idea that art is a playground for the mind, where things don't have to make sense, they just have to feel right.