Rayon 1972

Alexander Calder made this painting, Rayon, with gouache on paper. Check out the way the sun is sitting on the mountain, shining over the summit like a halo. Imagine Calder painting this outside, squinting into the light, simplifying it all down to these basic shapes. It's a bold scene. I love the directness of the brushstrokes: thick black lines alternating with white ones, forming this mountain with such confidence, like an assertive graphic statement. It’s simple but strong. The whole painting vibrates with its use of just a few primary colours: red, yellow, black, and white. It reminds me of Stuart Davis's paintings. They’re both so declarative! You feel the artists making these deliberate choices. There's a real joy in the act of seeing and translating the world into paint. It's a celebration of looking, interpreting, and making. And painting is an act of sharing that joy.