My Advice to You (Ce que j'en dis) 1961

Pierre Alechinsky made this dynamic print, with its swirling forms and handwritten text, using lithography. The act of drawing is laid bare here, a raw and immediate expression. Look at those bold, looping lines – they remind me of Cy Twombly’s scribbles, but with a touch more figuration. I can imagine Alechinsky’s hand moving quickly, intuitively across the plate, building up these strange, cartoonish figures and speech bubbles. What kind of advice is being offered here? Is it sincere, or ironic? The limited palette of blue and beige gives the piece a kind of understated energy. It's like he's saying, "I don't need a lot of colors to convey the essence of human communication." There's a vulnerability in the way the drawing is so exposed, so unrefined. It reminds us that painting, like giving advice, is an act of faith, a leap into the unknown. We continue the exchange through viewing, seeing, feeling and thinking.