Alchemie 1979

Editor: This is Jean Miotte's "Alchemie" from 1979, created with oil paint. I’m struck by the thick impasto; you can almost feel the energy he put into applying the paint. How do you approach a piece like this where the materiality seems so central? Curator: Let's think about 'Alchemie' not just as a painting, but as a record of its own making. Consider the physical properties of oil paint – its viscosity, drying time, its very source from linseed and pigment. How does Miotte manipulate these materials, pushing them, layering them? Does that thick application of paint elevate a "craft" based technique to a High Art? Editor: I see what you mean. The gesture becomes almost sculptural because of how the paint is applied. Is he, in a sense, transforming the material into something… more, hence the title 'Alchemie'? Curator: Precisely. He’s exploring the transformative potential inherent in the materials themselves. Think about the labour involved, the sheer physicality of applying so much paint in such an expressive way. Does the scale dictate something specific about production and market? Are we meant to see a grand heroic gesture or a commentary of a more modest studio? Editor: That's interesting. It makes me consider how the art world values certain types of labour over others, and how a painting like this challenges those assumptions. I hadn’t thought about the labor involved. Curator: Indeed. And how might the accessibility and cost of these materials in 1979 impact the kinds of artistic explorations Miotte could undertake? What choices did he have available in that context? Editor: That makes so much sense! Looking at "Alchemie," now I think it goes beyond pure aesthetics to a really thoughtful exploration of process and materials. Thanks. Curator: Agreed. Considering materiality and the means of production opens up avenues for interpretation that pure formalism often misses.