Inside, Outside 1980

Francesco Clemente made this watercolor, Inside, Outside, presumably on paper, and it's full of layered washes. The way the pigments pool and blend, it feels so immediate. Looking at the watery landscape on the left, notice how the trees almost melt into the sky, like a memory. Then there’s the figures. One pale, one pink, kind of awkwardly touching each other across these shifting, almost dreamlike divides. It’s fascinating how Clemente uses the watercolor to create these translucent effects, letting the colors bleed and mingle. That touch, though. It’s like they’re reaching out, but also pulling away. In a way, it reminds me of the way Cy Twombly would mark make; these are simple actions which become a metaphor for something more, you know? It's this delicate balance that makes the piece so compelling.