Characters and Birds Party for the Night That Is Approaching 1968

Joan Miró made this painting, Characters and Birds Party for the Night That Is Approaching, probably with oil, and you can almost feel him dancing with the canvas. Look at those simple, whimsical shapes and stark colors against the black background; it's like a party in outer space! I can imagine Miró, in his studio, making these intuitive marks. What does it feel like to conjure forms from nothing? The paint is thinly applied, creating a smooth surface that allows the shapes to float freely. Notice how the blue line grounds the composition, while the green figure seems to be leaping across the canvas. Miró’s work always reminds me of Paul Klee, maybe it’s that shared sense of playfulness, that freedom to invent new languages. What do these characters and birds signify? It’s up to us to decide. Isn’t it great when an artist invites you to play along? Painting is an ongoing conversation across time, artists inspiring artists, viewers bringing their own readings and the thing opens up.