Natura Morta 1953

Giorgio Morandi made this still life, called 'Natura Morta', with oil paint. Look how the paint has been dragged across the surface, and how the colours are muted and greyed out. What a process! It's almost like he's trying to figure out what these objects *are* by painting them, not just copying what he sees, but finding out what they *mean* to him, through painting. I love the way the colours feel like they've been toned down. The surface has a rough feel from the brushstrokes. There is something about the colour and texture that gives the painting a melancholy feel. See how the edges of each object aren’t sharply defined, they seem to melt into one another and into the background, like they are all part of one big family. I am reminded of Agnes Martin, or even some of the early still lifes of Picasso or Braque. There are no definitive meanings here, just a quiet, ongoing exchange of ideas.