Archaïs landschap 1972

Eugene Brands created this painting, Archaïs landschap, with bold colours and sweeping gestures, maybe chasing after a fleeting feeling. You can almost see how the painting came into being—shifting, maybe even emerging through trial, error, and intuition. I sympathize with Brands; I know what it's like to try to wrestle a painting into being. What might he have been thinking when he made this? The paint is applied with such a thick texture, giving it a real, tangible quality. Look at that dark mass in the centre, grounded by those bold black marks beneath, like dancing feet. They are so full of energy and intention. Brands was part of the CoBrA group, and you can really see that shared spirit of experimentation and freedom in this piece. It reminds me of Karel Appel's playful approach to form and colour. These artists were really in conversation, exchanging ideas and pushing each other's creativity. For me, painting is a way of embracing ambiguity, allowing for endless interpretations. It's about the journey, not the destination.