Série Venise 

Editor: This is Hélène de Beauvoir's "Série Venise," an acrylic painting. It definitely gives off an abstract expressionist vibe. The geometric forms, all those interlocking shapes...it's a bit overwhelming, honestly. How do you approach a work like this, Professor? Curator: Formally, it is interesting how the artist organizes a composition constructed almost entirely of discrete polygonal forms. Observe the palette. What is the impact of the somewhat muted primary colours interspersed with those vibrant serpentine ribbons? Editor: Well, the ribbons definitely grab your attention. They're so different from the other shapes; they inject a sense of movement, maybe even playfulness. Do you think she was deliberately trying to disrupt the geometric rigidity? Curator: Precisely! Consider also the application of paint. The slightly visible brushstrokes suggest the artist's hand at work, counteracting the depersonalization often associated with geometric abstraction. Do you perceive any tension between control and spontaneity here? Editor: Definitely! It’s like she set up a rule-based system, the geometric structure, and then deliberately broke it with those ribbons and the visible brushwork. It is like structured chaos. So by analyzing the formal qualities alone, we can get at something of the artist's process. Curator: Indeed. By attending to the surface – to colour, form, texture – we find an intellectual rigour counterbalanced by freedom of execution. A close viewing reveals an orchestration of compositional elements in tension. Editor: I think I see the abstract expressionist vibe more clearly now. Thanks! Curator: The pleasure is mine. Understanding comes through close looking.