Anagogy 1947

Victor Brauner made Anagogy with oil paint. I can almost imagine the push and pull, the layering and scraping that must have gone into building up this surface. I wonder what was going through Brauner’s head when he painted that figure with the sun-like face. Look at the texture around it! It is so built up! It’s like he was wrestling with the paint itself. And then there is that bird hovering, with its beak almost touching the other figure's head. It’s as though both are locked in some psychic battle of wills. Brauner’s imagery, often dealing with mythical creatures and psychological states, reminds me a little bit of Philip Guston’s later, more figurative works – that same sense of grappling with inner demons and projecting them onto the canvas. All these paintings are in conversation with one another, across time and space, each artist adding their voice to the ongoing discussion. And, for me, it's a reminder that painting isn't about answers; it's about asking questions and embracing the uncertainty of it all.