The Intruder 1949

Desmond Morris made this painting, "The Intruder," with bright colours and playful shapes, like a child's drawing but with a twist. The painting has a flat, almost cartoonish quality, but look closer, and you'll see the texture of the paint, the way the colours bleed into each other. It's not trying to be realistic; it's more like a dreamscape. My eyes keep going to the figures tumbling through the sky. Are they dancing or falling? Are they friendly or menacing? Maybe a bit of both. It reminds me a little of Joan Miró, but with a more childlike, innocent quality, and perhaps a more unsettling feeling. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to make sense; it can be a space for exploration, ambiguity, and maybe even a little bit of mischief.