Winter 1971

Ivan Generalic made this painting, Winter, with oil on glass, in what looks like a landscape scene. The colour palette is muted, but has this childlike directness of colour. I love how, up close, you can see how the paint is laid on the surface, in layers, so each detail builds up to create an overall composition. It is so clear that the image is built through a process, and not just the final result of an idea. There is this amazing effect of the snow on the trees, built through many tiny marks, all distinct, but together forming a volume. It’s like each touch is its own little painting. The painting's surface is also fascinating: the gloss of the oil interacting with the smooth glass support gives it a luminous quality. It reminds me a little of the work of Henri Rousseau, who had a similar interest in painting direct, simple images, full of life. With both artists, the ambiguity is the point.