Composition abstraite 1931

Georges Valmier made this abstract painting sometime in his career, probably with oil on canvas, using a palette of black, white, grey, and muted reds and blues. The colors are laid down smoothly, but what really strikes me is the line work—the dark, sure outlines that give shape to these biomorphic forms. The paint is applied in solid blocks, no visible brushstrokes, with an almost industrial finish. Look at how the black line almost nonchalantly defines shapes, suggesting depth and volume in a very economical way. Notice the dashed line forming a circle: it’s not quite closed, adding a playful, unfinished quality. It reminds us that making art is a process, not just a finished product. Valmier's crisp forms and controlled palette remind me a little of Fernand Léger, but with a softer edge. Both artists found ways to bring a sense of clarity and order to abstraction, but Valmier does it with a wink, reminding us that art is always a conversation, a back-and-forth between ideas and ways of seeing.