Halt In The Desert 1922

Frederick Arthur Bridgman made this painting, Halt In The Desert, in 1922, and what I love about it is how he allows the pinks and browns of the landscape to bleed into the blues of the sky. It’s all connected, you know? Look at the way he's dabbed the paint, especially in the figures resting on the ground. There's a real sense of improvisation, of Bridgman responding to the moment, and not over-labouring it. I love how the ochre of the desert floor almost vibrates against the cooler whites of the horses and the figures' robes. It’s like a visual hum. For me, painting is about this kind of materiality, about how the texture, color, and surface all come together to create an experience. Bridgman reminds me a bit of someone like Eugene Delacroix, with the way he captures a sense of light and movement. But in a funny way he also reminds me of Milton Avery, who often worked with really simplified forms and a similar kind of harmonious colour palette. But with art, nothing is ever really fixed. It’s just an ongoing conversation, right?