The Birth of Prometheus 1970

Endre Balint made The Birth of Prometheus with paint and probably a few other things at some point in the 20th century, judging by the look of it. The forms are kinda blocky, but there is a handmade, almost scrappy feel. I love the way the colors interact, how the red bleeds into the umber background, and then that yellow ochre pops. It reminds me of Arthur Dove's approach to abstraction. Balint knew how to handle paint to get these effects. Check out the house-like shape on the left, with the red roof and the bluish-grey front. There is something almost Klee-like in its playfulness. The real magic is in the surface. It’s not slick or polished, but rough and textured, like it has been worked and reworked, with layers of paint building up over time. This gives the image a real sense of depth and history, as if it’s a fragment of something ancient, unearthed and brought to light.