Painting 1918

This is one of Patrick Henry Bruce's Paintings, and it's full of geometric shapes in mostly muted colors: black, green, lavender, and an array of blues, greys, and whites. I imagine Bruce moving around his canvas, perhaps in a studio in France, because he was inspired by Cezanne and Matisse. What was he thinking as he placed those forms so carefully? Was it like arranging a stage set? Like inventing a new kind of still life that’s both there and not there? There's a real push-pull between representation and abstraction. Look how the planes of color butt up against each other; the way the lines create hard edges. I wonder about the surface. Is it smooth or textured? How does that affect the way we see it? It's interesting to consider Bruce’s connection to artists like Picasso and Braque, yet he carved his own distinct path. It's a reminder that artists are in a constant dialogue, borrowing, responding, and pushing the boundaries of what painting can be.