The Arums 1975

Marc Chagall made this image, "The Arums", using lithography, and you can see that the marks are playful, the colors bright and celebratory. It is like he is saying that artmaking should be a process of discovery. Look at the vase in the centre, see how it is built up of layers of thin lines. He is not trying to hide how it was made. The texture of the paper and the marks of the lithographic crayon are all visible, as if he wants to show us the stages that went into building up this image. It's like he's saying, "Hey, this is how I do it!" I find this really generous. This reminds me of Joan Miró, who also used simple marks and bright colours to create playful and imaginative worlds. Both artists show us that art doesn't have to be serious or complicated to be meaningful, it can be a celebration of life, love, and the joy of making.