Forms 1918

Patrick Henry Bruce made this painting, Forms, with oil on canvas. The crisp, geometric forms—cylinders, cubes, and cones—are arranged with the cool detachment of someone who's really thinking about structure. I can imagine Bruce, brush in hand, squinting at these shapes, trying to capture their essence, you know? It’s like he's asking, "What if I flatten this, stretch that, turn it inside out?" The smooth, almost airbrushed surfaces feel so deliberate, like each color was carefully considered. I wonder if he started with sketches, meticulously planning every line, or if he just went for it, letting the shapes emerge from the canvas. It kind of reminds me of Léger or some of the other early modernists who were obsessed with machines and urban life, but Bruce brings his own quirky sensibility. All these artists are in conversation, like a big, messy, ongoing studio visit that spans decades, and they are always teaching me something new.