Battle of the Fishes 1927

Andre Masson made this small drawing, Battle of the Fishes, using pencil and crayon on paper. It’s all scribbles and loose, intuitive lines. You can see the artist figuring it out as they go—how do I make these fishes fight? Masson's marks are both tentative and bold; a sort of visual dance on the page, feeling out shapes and forms. I wonder what Masson was thinking about. Were they pondering existential questions? Looking at it, I’m reminded of other artists who’ve wrestled with similar questions of form, like Cy Twombly. There’s a sense of immediacy, of capturing a fleeting thought or feeling and I reckon this is what painting is all about. It’s an ongoing conversation between artists across time, inspiring one another to create. The ambiguity is the point. It embraces uncertainty, allowing for multiple readings, interpretations, and meanings.