El Dios del Fuego 1948

Carlos Merida made this incredible artwork with crayon. I can almost feel the give of the waxy crayon as it’s dragged across the surface of the paper, back and forth. I can see the artist gently layering the colours, allowing for some bleed into the cream figure shapes. I can imagine Merida's hand moving intuitively, feeling the push and pull between the shapes. There's something really playful about the way the background colours meet. Think about the dialogue that Merida is having with other artists throughout time. I’m reminded of Paul Klee, but this is all Merida, synthesizing his own experiences, thoughts, and feelings into a completely unique pictorial language. Ultimately, painting is an act of inquiry, isn’t it? It’s about asking questions and embracing ambiguity and uncertainty.