Volcan ensorcelé 1974

Pierre Alechinsky’s ‘Volcan ensorcelé’ has been built with layers of vibrant colors, thick black outlines, and a series of narrative images. The yellow is like a hallucinatory sunset illuminating the darkness of the volcano’s eruption. I can imagine Alechinsky working on this, maybe in a trance-like state, letting the images emerge from his subconscious. The four eyes of the green figure are watching us, looking for something. It must have been exhilarating to watch the figures rising from the depths of his imagination. The texture looks smooth, inviting touch, while the black lines feel immediate. The narrative scenes at the bottom of the painting feel like footnotes offering a glimpse into the artist's mind. Alechinsky’s approach reminds me of other painters like Miró or Guston, playful and imaginative. Ultimately, Alechinsky’s painting is an invitation to embrace ambiguity and uncertainty. It makes me think about art history as one big conversation, and how we inspire each other to see the world in new ways.