The Depth of Sea 1940

Tihamer Gyarmathy made this painting, "The Depth of Sea," with a real feel for the magic of process. Look how he’s built up the layers of blues and greens, allowing the white lines to sing across the surface. It's as if he’s conjuring the ocean from thin air. The painting feels like a dream, doesn’t it? The texture is smooth and almost translucent. It feels as if the colours could slip right off the canvas. Those thin white lines create a sense of depth and mystery, they remind me of fishing lines. There’s one line that swoops up from the bottom, arcing all the way around like a celestial fishing rod. It really pulls the whole composition together. This piece reminds me a little of Joan Miró, with his playful use of shapes and symbols. Art, like the sea, is a constant conversation, a back-and-forth between artists across time. Gyarmathy invites us to dive in, to explore the depths of our own imaginations.