Le printemps 2002

Aurel Cojan made 'Le Printemps,' likely in the late 20th century, with watercolor on paper. It’s a playful, almost dreamlike landscape, isn't it? You can really see the artist feeling his way through the piece. The washes are so transparent, like memories fading in and out. Look how the yellow ochre puddles on the lower right corner create an anchor. It’s like Cojan laid down a color, stepped back, and then responded to what was already there. There are some loose, gestural lines in blues and browns dancing across the surface. The juxtaposition of the watery colors and the deliberate lines reminds me a little bit of Cy Twombly, who also embraced a kind of organized chaos. 'Le Printemps' captures a moment of pure, unadulterated seeing. Art, at its best, is about this kind of open-ended exploration, where ambiguity is not a weakness, but a strength.