Natashkouan 1956

Marcel Barbeau made this painting called 'Natashkouan,' and it’s this riot of color, a playground for your eyes. There’s a real emphasis on the physical qualities of the paint, it's thick in some places and thin in others. It looks like Barbeau applied the paint in these little dashes, like a mosaic made of brushstrokes. The colors—red, white, and black—are like dancers, stepping forward and back in this visual rhythm. Look at how the black lines weave in and out, they almost seem to define the space, pulling our eyes along for the ride. I'm reminded of Joan Mitchell's paintings, that same sense of energy and freedom. But where Mitchell might be all sweeping gestures, Barbeau is precise and deliberate. Ultimately, it’s this tension between control and chaos that makes the painting so engaging, it invites you to look closer, to get lost in its patterns and textures.