The Tree 1967

Haroutiun Galentz made "The Tree" with oil paint on canvas, though we don’t know exactly when. Look at how these luscious colours push against each other. He must have been working fast. The painting has a real sense of movement, doesn't it? Galentz isn't trying to fool us into thinking that we are looking at a real tree. Instead, the thick strokes of paint are laid down with confidence. See the dark green, almost black, patch of paint in the middle of the canvas? It's not quite a leaf, and not quite a shadow, but it gives the whole piece a bit of weight, grounding the composition. Galentz reminds me a bit of Milton Avery, who also wasn’t afraid to use simple forms and a vibrant palette. But, where Avery feels more subdued, Galentz really lets loose. The beauty of abstract painting is that it captures a feeling more than a thing. What do you feel when you look at this painting?