Mayou 1959

Huguette Arthur Bertrand made this abstract work, Mayou, in oil paint, and I love how it feels like a dance of forms. Imagine Bertrand in her studio, layering strokes of black, brown, and grey, maybe with some blues, each mark a response to the last. The paint isn't too thick, but you can see the textures where she's brushed and pulled it across the canvas. There are rectangles, lines, and patches all colliding in an atmosphere of dynamic energy. I think she was in conversation with other abstract expressionists of her time, all trying to figure out how to express feeling and thought through pure form. That big dark brushstroke, slashing across the center, feels so decisive, like a bold statement. And those little drips hanging down, do they evoke tears or rain? Ultimately, painting is about embracing ambiguity, about letting the materials speak and allowing the viewer to bring their own associations to the mix.