Tapis vert 1953

Victor Brauner made ‘Tapis vert’ with paint on canvas, in 1953. It's all about playful invention. The colors are muted – ochre, light blue, green – and the lines are simple, almost childlike, which speaks to a process of making without overthinking. The surface has a flatness to it. The paint looks thin, like it’s been pushed around. And look at how the figures and objects are outlined. They are separate and slightly transparent, giving the impression that they are floating in a dream-like space. There's this one figure with a bulbous green nose and a tiny hand reaching out as if to grab the blue donkey’s tail – it's both humorous and strangely tender. Brauner’s exploration of symbols and archetypes reminds me of another artist, Hilma af Klint, who also used simplified forms to explore esoteric ideas. These aren't images that yield to a single, fixed meaning; instead, they invite us into a realm of symbols and associations.