Bird's Flight in Moonlight 1967

Here's a little visual poem conjured into being by Joan Miró, with paint. Just imagine how this painting came together. Miró’s standing in front of a canvas, maybe with music on, definitely with the smell of oil paint hanging in the air, conjuring a world in broad strokes of green, punctuated with a juicy orange orb. I can see him stepping back, squinting, and then lunging forward to add a thin, almost shy dash of red. It makes me smile. The surface has this fantastic, slightly mottled texture, achieved through thin layers, so the green almost vibrates. The big orange shape is so confidently outlined with black, anchoring the whole composition. It must have been really satisfying to paint! You can see the influence of Surrealism. I find that this is a playful world of symbols and dreams. It reminds me of Klee, and so many others. It’s all one big, ongoing conversation between artists, this wonderful sharing of ideas across time. It's just gorgeous.