Les Essències de la terra 1968

Joan Miró made this piece, Les Essències de la terra, with crayon and ink, and the title translates to The Essences of the Earth. Just imagine Miró in his studio, his hand swooping across the paper in one grand gesture after another. The crayon work is interesting, isn’t it? The colours feel basic and true - red, yellow, green, and blue. It’s all childlike yet incredibly sophisticated. I wonder if Miró knew what he was doing, or was he letting his subconscious lead the way? The looping lines create a sense of movement and rhythm, like a dance across the surface. Then this bold, dark, calligraphic brushstroke kind of pulls it all together, gives it a structure. It reminds me a bit of Cy Twombly in the way it combines drawing and painting. Each of these artists have a distinct vocabulary, but are somehow related, as though in a kind of conversation. In the end, this piece, and all paintings for that matter, embraces ambiguity, inviting us to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the work.