July 1956

Editor: Okay, so next up we have “July,” a mixed-media painting by Roger Bissière, created in 1956. It strikes me as a playful puzzle of shapes and colors. What do you see in this piece, what stands out to you? Curator: I'm so glad you picked up on the playfulness, because that’s exactly the feeling Bissière aimed for! He called himself a "translator of nature," and you can feel that. Do you sense any echoes of summer here? The sun perhaps, or the long shadows of midday? I find it intriguing that such basic forms manage to convey something so expansive. Editor: I can see the suggestion of sun with the bursts of orange and the geometric forms like, simplified shadows. So, it's less about representation, and more about… essence? Curator: Precisely. Bissière avoids direct imitation, aiming instead to capture the feeling of a thing, the vibration of a season. He had a gorgeous sense of color! Notice how he uses muted tones—the soft blues, beiges—as a kind of quiet stage for the vibrant oranges and blacks to pop. It almost hums, doesn't it? It's not just what he paints, but how he lets those colors breathe next to each other that creates this subtle joy. I think maybe that’s the true summer vibe here. Editor: It really does! And the black almost works to give it… I don’t know, a graphic jolt? I think I am starting to better appreciate Abstract Expressionism by getting lost in one image at a time. Curator: I love that, "getting lost!" Art should always allow you to wander off somewhere, and maybe bring back a little treasure, a feeling, a thought you didn't have before. Editor: Exactly! It definitely gives me a renewed appreciation for finding the emotional resonance in abstract forms.