Mon Mistral 2010

Francois Arnal created "Mon Mistral," likely on canvas, using an array of gestural marks. Arnal, as a French artist, would have been intimately familiar with the Mistral—a strong, cold wind from the north, known to sweep through the Rhône Valley into the Mediterranean. The abstract forms and vibrant colors are reminiscent of mid-century abstraction, a period marked by the rejection of traditional representation and a focus on the artist's inner experience. The bold brushstrokes and seemingly spontaneous composition speak to a desire to capture the essence of a force that is felt, not seen. But in this abstraction, we can sense more than the wind; the splatters and stains intimate the human impact of the Mistral, the disruption and change it brings to the landscape and the spirit. This work acts as both a visual record and an emotional response, an engagement with the power of nature.