Poppies in a Vase 1910

Odilon Redon made 'Poppies in a Vase’ with pastel on paper. It’s a funny medium, pastel, soft and smudgy, so you can imagine him gently building this picture up in a haze of marks. The palette here is so interesting; earthy browns and greens next to intense pops of red, orange, and yellow. The flowers are kind of floating there, bobbing in the vase. I can feel the weight of the blooms and the lightness of their petals. Redon’s work always has this dreamy, otherworldly quality. Think about the way he lays down the pastel, feathering and blending it, not trying to define forms too much. He knew that ambiguity could be a real strength. It makes me think about other artists that have embraced uncertainty in their art like Gustave Moreau and the Symbolists. They were all in conversation with one another, feeding off each other's creativity. I feel I am in conversation with them too, it's an ongoing process.