Martini Sunrise 2005

This is Romero Britto’s Martini Sunrise, and it’s full of the kind of shapes and colours that suggest unbridled joy. I see that the artist is making a painting that is also a symbol. A symbol of a joyful morning or the perfect drink. In a way, every mark is a symbol – the thick black line, the blue stripe, the yellow dot. What was he thinking, layering patterns upon patterns? There’s no empty space, no room to breathe. It reminds me of artists like Matisse, but then it goes further. What I love about painting is that it's not a stagnant thing. It moves. Britto is in conversation with Matisse, and with pop art, creating something new. Each artist leaves their mark, like a footprint in the sand. Each artist makes their language of marks.