Pipe and Glass 1923

Juan Gris made this painting called 'Pipe and Glass' at some point in his career, and there is something about the way he builds these forms out of tones and textures that feels very intuitive. The painting has a realness about it. I find myself drawn to the physicality of the forms – like the way the stem of the pipe curls around to meet the base of the glass. Gris isn't trying to trick us into seeing 'real' objects, he is simply making a painting and exploring these motifs. There is a slight but certain wobble in the lines, and the texture of the brushstrokes across the surface, which give it an interesting presence. It is as if he's embracing the limitations of painting, rather than trying to overcome them. Looking at Gris's work, I'm also reminded of other artists, maybe Giorgio Morandi or even Agnes Martin. But each of these artists is really coming from such a different place that it's not about direct influence, so much as a shared understanding of the language of abstraction.