Character and Bird in the Night 1967

Joan Miró made "Character and Bird in the Night," with paint, though when exactly, remains a mystery. There's such a playful, raw quality to his process. Looking at it, I'm drawn to how Miró handles the paint. It's not about hiding the process; it's right there on the surface. The texture is amazing – you can almost feel the bristles of the brush as it skims across the canvas. Then there's the colour, this deep indigo, almost like a dream state. And the marks! Check out the drips and splatters under the characters chin, there is a sense of both control and chance, a balance that gives the work its energy. It's like watching Miró think, each brushstroke a new idea. Miró reminds me a bit of Paul Klee, another artist who wasn't afraid to embrace the weird and wonderful. But Miró, he's got this wild, untamed energy that's all his own. And that, I think, is what makes his work so timeless.