Counter Composition V 2011

Joseph Dadoune made this 40 x 40 cm piece, Counter Composition V, with what looks like a whole load of black paint. It’s like he’s wrestling with darkness itself. I love how the surface isn't flat at all, it's built up, collaged almost, with different textures and sheens of black. You can almost feel the push and pull of the material, the resistance of the paint, as if it's fighting to stay liquid, stay alive. There is an interplay of light and shadow, the dark shades dancing together. It makes me think of Ad Reinhardt, stripping painting back to its bare essentials, or maybe even Louise Nevelson, building these mysterious monochrome worlds out of found objects. It’s a reminder that art isn't about answers, it's about questions, about the endless possibilities of seeing and feeling.