Dragon rouge 1999

René Duvillier made this ‘Dragon rouge’ with paint, and maybe a palette knife, to move all this lovely thick pigment around. It is such a process-based painting, like he was really in the zone, you know? The physicality of the paint in this piece really gets me going. The reds are laid on so thick, some areas are almost sculptural, while others are more transparent. Look how he’s used the white to carve out shapes within the red, creating this kind of tension between figure and ground. It reminds me a little of Joan Mitchell actually, in the way she let’s the brushstrokes speak for themselves. And check out that one little drip of white paint in the lower left. It is almost like Duvillier knew exactly when to stop, leaving just enough rawness to keep it exciting. It’s like he’s saying, "Here it is, take it or leave it." And honey, I'm taking it! Art doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be real.