Blue Island 1979

Emerson Woelffer made this small collage, called Blue Island, in 1979. It’s paper on board, and what strikes me is how flat it is. The colors are bold and simple, but it’s the torn edges of the blue and black shapes that give it some real texture, right? That tear at the top… it’s like a landscape where land meets sky. And then there’s that flash of orange peeking out, a hidden sun? I love how the different pieces of paper seem to float on the red ground, each shape asserting its own presence. Then you notice the curious positioning of the black shapes against the blue and red. Woelffer’s got something of Matisse in him, I think, but his approach is more raw. Both artists invite us to find our own sense of balance within the composition. It’s this openness to possibility which makes the piece so engaging.