Remake 1983

Jean Helion made this painting, Remake, with oil paint, but when, exactly, is anyone's guess. It's like a half-remembered dream, isn’t it? The colors feel intentionally off, like that lavender skin, almost like he’s trying to push against conventional ways of seeing, reminding us that art isn't about perfect representation, but about feeling, thinking, questioning. Look closely at the surface; you can see the gestures, the casualness of the strokes. There's a vulnerability in the way the paint is applied, not trying to hide anything. That open window frames a figure bathed in light, opening outward in contrast to the reclining figure below. What’s the relationship between these two? It's up to you to decide. Helion's work has this quality – a kind of restless energy, a search for new ways to depict the world. It reminds me a bit of Picabia, always experimenting, never settling into one style, always embracing change and ambiguity.