Riviere 1990

Joan Mitchell, a vital force in the male-dominated world of Abstract Expressionism, created "Riviere" as one of many paintings that expressed her emotional landscape. While the male Abstract Expressionists were busy mythologizing themselves, Mitchell was getting on with the business of painting. She has said, “I paint from remembered landscapes that I carry with me – and remembered feelings of them, which of course become transformed.” The energetic brushstrokes and vibrant colors in “Riviere” aren’t trying to just represent the landscape, but instead transmit the feeling of being in it. The diptych structure of “Riviere” evokes a sense of expanse, pulling us into Mitchell’s immersive world. Consider how Mitchell uses color and form to convey her personal experience of the world, transforming observations into deeply felt abstractions. It is through this intensely personal expression that her work transcends the limits of traditional landscape painting and becomes a powerful statement of self.