In the Village 1978

Grégoire Michonze made this dreamlike painting called ‘In the Village’ at some point in his life, we don't know exactly when. The way that he has made the whole scene so bright and colourful makes me feel really happy, a bit like he's really enjoying painting the village scene and the people that he sees there. I love the figures in the foreground, it feels like they are in conversation, maybe having a small disagreement, or maybe they're just friends chatting! The bold brushstrokes and the way the colours are layered create a really exciting surface, and I think other artists like Milton Avery were exploring similar ways of making paintings at this time. It's like artists are always looking at each other's work and having a conversation across time, inspiring each other to try new things and to see the world in different ways.