Compositie 1974

Eugene Brands made this Compositie with paint. The combination of earthy reds, blacks and whites is so immediate! You can feel Brands’ physical process of working with the paint. Looking closely, the brushstrokes are pretty visible, and the paint looks like it’s been laid on in confident strokes, not overworked but full of intention. I am drawn to the black shapes – how they push forward, while the white creates this push and pull, back and forth within the red. It’s like a dance of colors and shapes on the surface. The colours feel raw, the image has a raw energy. This piece reminds me of the work of Joan Miró, where abstract forms also evoke a sense of playfulness and wonder. It’s a great reminder that art is really an ongoing conversation, where artists build on each other’s ideas.