Noodlotsmaan 1951

Eugene Brands made this painting called Noodlotsmaan with paint, and likely some brushes. The way he lets the paint be itself, kind of gloppy and direct, makes me think about the raw, unfiltered process of art-making. It’s like he’s showing you the messy, beautiful truth of how paintings come to life. The texture in this piece really grabs me. The colors are muted and earthy, but then you see those bright pops of red and green that bring the whole thing alive. Look at how the black paint oozes down from the top of the composition, and then spreads out into a kind of hand shape at the bottom. It's so crude, and it is so great. Brands reminds me of Joan Miró, in that he has this playful spirit and a knack for turning simple shapes into something that feels deeply human. Art, for me, is about embracing the unknown and finding new ways to see the world, and Brands does that in spades.