Peinture 1957

Curator: Looking at this intense work by Simon Hantai from 1957, simply titled "Peinture," I am struck by the tangled network of lines against this mottled, murky ground. A real whirlwind. Editor: My first thought? A distressed heart! The painting's raw, visceral feel practically pulses. It's almost uncomfortable, but in a way that commands your attention, don't you think? Curator: Absolutely. It's a mixed-media piece, with acrylic paint being pretty prominent I feel like, teetering on the edge of matter-painting; Hantai really revels in the textures. You know, at this time he was really beginning to define his personal approach to abstraction. It reminds me a little of the sort of automatic drawing being done by the Surrealists, a certain subconscious freedom on display. Editor: Free, maybe. But controlled too. There is this intense physicality in Hantai's gestures; it reminds us of the work, of course, but it speaks volumes about the relationship between an artist and their materials. Think about the acrylic paint – its affordability and how easily you can use it would have opened some new ways to build up this composition. But then why keep it so muddied in those olive green, shadowy shades? Was Hantai looking for that particular mood, despite a new exciting approach to materiality? Curator: Perhaps! I sense an inner struggle conveyed through these almost frantic marks. The use of line is very telling here. Those sweeping strokes aren't simply decorative; they are infused with an urgency, an energy, trying desperately to work through the surface of that earthy foundation. Editor: And in 1957, that kind of raw expression takes on an extra layer, don't you think? With the rise of abstract expressionism, art's purpose was already evolving to embrace, as we know, more emotionally intense themes. And in terms of abstraction, Hantai goes deeper. If we reflect for a second in terms of accessibility, paintings such as these move away from figurative styles, as an important development from a materials point of view, considering that in the mid-century you need materials you can easily spread out, smudge, make unrecognisable and tangled... Curator: You've given me lots to consider... So many conflicting thoughts; from freedom of expression and the materiality in play that enable such expression, but ultimately to those muddy, earthy colour choices; almost suggestive of something heavier... I will consider the impact of my interpretation... Thank you for the help with that. Editor: Thank you, likewise; hopefully, listeners will begin to notice the importance of materiality for what concerns artistic expression, by simply observing details such as the textures present.