Visage 1941

This is Victor Brauner’s ‘Visage’ which was made using watercolour and pencil in 1941. Look at how the colours are applied, so thin and washy in places, and then built up to create these solid focal points, like the bright green of that eye. I'm drawn to the more textural area on the right side of the face, it almost looks like it's been scrubbed in with a dry brush. That layering of colour and texture is such a great example of how artists use materials to express emotion. The figure feels like it's emerging from the depths, with a solid gaze that feels both direct and evasive. The ambiguity created by the use of watercolour and the blending of form and colour invites us to question what we see. Brauner’s work reminds me a little of Leonora Carrington, someone who wasn’t afraid to push boundaries and play with the surreal. Neither was interested in easy answers. They both invite us into a world of mystery and ambiguity, where the imagination reigns supreme.