Cloud Painting 2014

Benoit Maire made this cloud painting, dimensions 150 x 100 cm, with what looks like oil paint. You know, it’s funny how something as simple as a cloud can be so evocative. The way Maire approaches mark-making, with these horizontal sweeps of color, it feels like he's trying to capture a fleeting moment. Artmaking as a process. I love the way the colors blend and bleed into each other. The surface has this wonderful texture, almost like layers of sediment. The paint is applied in both thick and thin layers, creating a real sense of depth. And then there's that cluster of orange and blue in the center – it's like a little explosion of energy. It’s a burst of warmth and contrast that really draws you in. This piece reminds me a little of Gerhard Richter's abstract landscapes, but with a more playful, almost childlike quality. It's like Maire is reminding us not to take ourselves too seriously, to embrace the ambiguity and mystery of the world around us.