Portugese Still Life 1916

This is Sonia Delaunay's Portuguese Still Life, an oil on canvas. Look at the concentric swirls of color! Delaunay uses these energetic strokes to build up the composition, it feels like she’s almost dancing with the paint. It’s so process oriented, isn't it? Up close, you can see the thick, almost sculptural quality of the paint. She’s not trying to hide the materiality of the medium, quite the opposite! Notice how the oranges and yellows pop against the deeper blues and greens. The surface is alive with texture, each stroke a testament to Delaunay’s physical engagement with the canvas. Those swirling marks, like eddies in a stream, seem to pull everything together, blurring the lines between objects and space. It’s as if the whole world is in motion. Delaunay reminds me a bit of Kupka, another artist who wasn't afraid to let color and form take center stage. Art, for them, and for me, is about embracing the unknown, chasing after something that shimmers just beyond our grasp.