Untitled 1963

This untitled painting was made by Martial Raysse, and feels very much of its time. The marks are direct and process-oriented, and the colour palette is bold and brash. The pink feels hot and synthetic, clashing with the turquoise and lime green. The fluffy nose is a surprise, a disruption. It feels like an almost cartoonish addition, and at the same time it invites you to touch, to experience the painting in a sensory way. Raysse’s practice has always been interested in pop culture and consumerism. The image of the face feels like it could be lifted from an advert, and yet it’s been abstracted, disrupted, subverted. I think of Warhol, Lichtenstein, and all those artists looking at popular culture with a mixture of fascination and critique. With art, there are no answers, only more questions.