Still Life with Lamp 1928

Joan Miró painted this 'Still Life with Lamp' with oils, and what hits me first is how the playful marks create a kind of visual poetry. It’s not just about what you see, but how you see it. Look at the way Miró applies the paint, it's quite thinned out in areas, particularly the background green, then thickens to almost a impasto in areas. The colours are also so interesting, some muted earth tones contrasted with the high-key primaries like the pillar of red. The black lines of the painting seem to weave the whole image together into a tapestry, while it's simplicity also feels very modern. That bright red pillar is the key to everything. It’s not just a form, it’s a statement. It cuts through the dreamy landscape and gives the painting structure and a point of contrast with the other soft forms. I see a kinship with other artists who explore the balance between abstraction and representation, like Arshile Gorky, maybe? Ultimately, 'Still Life with Lamp' is all about the joy of looking, of letting your imagination wander in a world of colour and form.