Sem título 1954

This painting by Menez is made with bright swathes of colour, mostly reds, with some blues, greens, pinks and yellows, that are layered on the canvas, built up, scraped away, and brought back together to form something abstract. I can imagine Menez in the studio, attacking the canvas with a kind of raw energy. The geometric forms seem to jostle for space, a push and pull that reminds me of the cut-and-paste aesthetic that was so important in the ‘80s, a time when people felt able to challenge painting’s formal conventions. That vertical yellow, it stands out like a beam of light, but it’s softened by the surrounding warm colours. You know, painting is like having a conversation with other artists, and here, Menez is in dialogue with the bold experiments of colour field painters. Ultimately it’s the painting’s uncertainty that’s so compelling. Painting isn't just about what we see, but what we feel, what we don't know, and the infinite possibilities that lie in between.