Igor S. 1971

Editor: So here we have "Igor S.," an acrylic painting made in 1971 by James Brooks. I’m immediately drawn in by the blues. They’re so deep, almost melancholic. What story do you think it's telling, or perhaps hinting at? Curator: Ah, yes, the blues. Brooks uses them almost as a character in themselves, wouldn’t you agree? For me, the painting feels like a glimpse into an underwater world – or maybe even a mindscape, awash with submerged thoughts. Do you get that sense of layering too? Editor: Definitely layering, it’s like he’s built the image with washes of colour, but where do you see a sense of place? I can see the emotion more clearly, I think! Curator: Interesting. For Brooks and many Abstract Expressionists, the ‘place’ wasn’t literal. The canvas was an arena where they wrestled with form and feeling. The lack of clear subject invites us into the artist’s creative process, allowing us to complete the story. Do you see how the composition guides your eye around the canvas despite the abstraction? It’s a dance, isn’t it? Editor: It is! And I hadn’t really considered the invitation. It does feel as if he wants me to find something here. Something other than the initial melancholic response. Curator: Precisely. Think of it as a visual echo chamber, reverberating with your own emotional landscape as much as Brooks’ intent. Every viewing can become a unique performance! Editor: I like that - a performance. That changes how I look at it completely. Curator: Me too! Art like this reminds me that a painting isn’t just something to be seen, but to be felt, to be lived with, and ultimately, to be re-imagined each time.