Untitled 1948

Victor Pasmore made this painting of geometric forms with oil paint, and what strikes me most is its openness. It's like he was having a conversation with the canvas, each stroke and color a response to the last. I can almost feel Pasmore's hand moving across the surface, building up layers of color and texture with different kinds of brushstrokes. Look how he navigates between thin washes and thicker impasto. This gives the painting a real physical presence. In his process, he creates a real dance between control and chance. I wonder if Pasmore had Piet Mondrian in mind here, but loosened up; there is something distinctly playful. It is an ongoing exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. Painting is a form of embodied expression which embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meaning over fixed or definitive readings.