Untitled 1961

This blue and brown print by Louis Bunce, it's all about the push and pull of color and shape, isn't it? I’m drawn to the way Bunce layers the blue over the brown, like a conversation. The blue almost fights to obscure the brown beneath, but the underlying earthiness keeps peeking through. There is a real sense of struggle in the composition, between the blocky shapes and meandering lines. Each mark seems deliberately placed, like a sculptor chiseling away at a block of stone. The lines make me think of calligraphy or maybe a secret language. Thinking about other artists, it reminds me of some of Joan Miró’s prints, where he also used simple shapes and bold colors to create a sense of playfulness, while maintaining the seriousness of artmaking. I like to think of art as an ongoing conversation, where ideas are always being reinterpreted and re-imagined.