Orient 1957

Jean-Michel Atlan made this painting, Orient, using lithographic crayon and ink, and the colour palette is all earth tones and shades of black. I love how the image plays with the tension between chaos and control. The forms appear spontaneously, and are layered to create depth and density, but it's anchored by this strong, gestural composition that gives it structure. Atlan has these broad, sweeping marks, and you can almost feel the energy of his hand as he moved across the surface. There are lines everywhere. It reminds me a bit of the work of Karel Appel, where the raw energy of the gesture is so palpable. But where Appel is all about vibrant color, Atlan uses a more subdued palette to create a sense of mystery. It's like he's inviting us to enter into a world of shadows and whispers. What do you think?