The Stairs 1952

Charles Blackman made this painting, "The Stairs", most likely with oils on canvas, and straight away I’m drawn to the blue, a really dominant blue, which pushes the composition forward in waves. The paint isn't trying to hide its presence; it’s not blended to death; you can see how Blackman added layer upon layer of marks. Look at the face of the girl in the foreground, see how the paint handling here is really direct, almost crude? But this approach gives the piece a kind of rawness, an immediacy. The blue is a formal device, pulling the composition together, but it also sets a mood, one of isolation, and maybe even a touch of melancholy. Blackman's work always has this kind of tension, doesn’t it? A childlike simplicity but also a depth of feeling. Like outsider art, he’s really his own artist. There's no right way to feel looking at this piece. Just keep looking.