Sable de bois 1953

Camille Bryen made this painting, Sable de bois, with who-knows-what in 1953. It’s a riot of blues and blacks over a sandy ground. I can almost feel Bryen making this! The brushstrokes are so immediate, like quick notes scribbled in a visual diary. He lays down these strokes, erases, and then adds more. It makes me think about the act of searching, of finding something in the midst of not-knowing. Look at those thick, dark blue lines that cascade down from the top – they're like waterfalls of ink. They are confident gestures and feel deeply felt. They remind me of de Kooning's frenetic energy but with a French twist. Painting is a process, a conversation across time. Bryen seems to be reminding us that every artist is in dialogue with those who came before. It’s like he’s saying, "Let’s embrace the mess, the uncertainty, because that's where the magic happens!"