Composition 1961

Jean Fautrier made this painting, simply titled Composition, with paint and probably other stuff, to build up the surface. The painting has this incredible texture, like dried mud or maybe even old plaster. It's thick, almost sculptural in places. Then he’s dragged these horizontal strokes of color across it. They're not quite orange, not quite yellow, and the dark shades aren't quite brown, not quite green, and they feel very earthy. I love how Fautrier lets you see the process, it's all about what paint can do. Look how the strokes catch the light, and in some places, the layers build up. It reminds me a bit of Antoni Tapies, that same love of humble materials and rough surfaces. Both of them seem to say that the beauty of art isn't always about perfection, it's about embracing the mess, and seeing where it leads.