Composition II 1955

Huguette Arthur Bertrand made this untitled composition with thick strokes of acrylic or oil, probably in her studio somewhere in France. Just imagine her there, pushing the paint around, one stroke at a time. The blues and oranges sort of vibrate against each other, don’t they? And then there are these blacks, and the pinks, like afterthoughts. I wonder if she was thinking of music when she made it. I'm thinking about rhythms, syncopation, and improvisation. Look at that diagonal slash of black paint cutting across the centre. That is a bold move. It reminds me a bit of Franz Kline, but softer, more lyrical. The canvas has a lovely surface, not too shiny, not too matte. It feels good in the eyes. Bertrand, like so many of us painters, had a conversation with the history of art, riffing on the same old themes, seeing how she could make it new. What a gift!