The Rule of the Circle, The Rule of the Game 1985

Geta Bratescu made this collage, The Rule of the Circle, The Rule of the Game, using paper on graph paper. Look at the circle, not quite complete, built up from torn paper and coloured shapes. I can imagine Bratescu carefully constructing this geometric form, ripping and layering the paper with real consideration and intuition. Making art is always a game – how much to show, how much to hide? It is as though the artist is mapping out something – like a plan, or a puzzle. There’s such a delicious tension between the grid and the unruly handmade shapes. It’s like she's setting up a system only to break it apart. The texture is flat, but the colours create depth. The stripes and blocks, each a different shade, vibrate against each other. That deep blue patch feels so solid, anchoring the lighter elements. Maybe Bratescu was thinking about circles in Eva Hesse's work, or maybe she was just playing, like a kid with construction paper. Artists are always having this conversation across time, inspiring each other’s crazy experiments! Painting offers an endless conversation with yourself and other artists, embracing not knowing where you are going and how to get there!