Magical Forms 1945

Lorser Feitelson made this painting, "Magical Forms," using oil on canvas. It’s awash with moody blues and grays, punctuated by these quirky, almost cartoonish shapes. I'm imagining Feitelson in his studio, wrestling with these forms, trying to pin down something elusive. The paint looks pretty thin, scrubbed into the canvas, which gives it this ethereal, otherworldly feel. Look at that brown, leg-like shape on the left – it’s so awkward and elegant at the same time, like a figure in a dream. I wonder if he was looking at Tanguy or maybe even Gorky when he made this. There’s something about the biomorphic shapes and the way they float in space that feels connected to those guys. You know, artists are always talking to each other, across time and space, pushing and pulling at each other's ideas. Painting’s like this ongoing conversation, full of questions and possibilities. It doesn't need to be tied down.