Nature Morte c. 1925 - 1930

Here is a piece by Georges Valmier, "Nature Morte," and it’s all about flat planes doing a little dance. The colors are muted – browns, pinks, blues – like a faded memory, and the shapes are these hard-edged abstractions that somehow feel soft. Up in the top left, see how the black wraps around the brown like a shadow? Then, your eye shoots over to the right, where the red pops out. The surface is smooth, and it’s hard to tell exactly how the paint was applied, which kind of makes it feel a bit mysterious. Look at the square with the red swirl in the center. It’s so simple, but it adds this little pop of energy, like a secret message. It reminds me a little of Léger, but more playful, less industrial. It’s like Valmier is whispering, “Hey, abstraction can be fun too.”