Charging Bull No. 7 1959

Editor: Elaine de Kooning's "Charging Bull No. 7," from 1959. The dynamic strokes of mixed media almost feel like they're bursting off the canvas! The overall composition is a bit chaotic. What elements of its construction stand out to you? Curator: The interplay of form and color creates an undeniably active surface. De Kooning’s brushstrokes, vigorous and impastoed, generate a sense of raw energy. Notice how she layers contrasting colors—blues against yellows, reds juxtaposed with greens—creating visual tension? Do you perceive how these color dynamics contribute to the sense of movement and perhaps, a latent representation of a 'charging' bull? Editor: I see it. It is dynamic, but what is the structural effect of so many visible brushstrokes? Curator: They emphasize the physicality of the medium itself, the paint's texture and the artist's hand in applying it. By not fully blending the colors, de Kooning forces us to consider the discrete components that construct the whole. Note too, the negative space; those deliberately left-blank areas create boundaries that allow the colours to vibrate even more intensely. Editor: The relationship between the colors creates tension. It seems less about the bull and more about capturing raw animal energy, distilled down to strokes and shades. Curator: Precisely. The subject serves merely as a point of departure for a purely formal exploration, prioritizing brushstroke, color and surface tension over figurative accuracy. De Kooning provides a sense of vitality in this work that allows for varied readings and interpretations, and moves it away from the representational, even toward abstraction. Editor: It is like de Kooning has filtered the bull and given us only pure energy. Curator: An astute observation that enhances one’s experience of the work. The more one returns to it, the more complex this experience grows.