Frottis Bleu 1953

Camille Bryen made *Frottis Bleu*, which translates as ‘Blue Smear’, with oil on canvas. It's a spectral, atmospheric painting where hues of blue melt into a delicate dance. I imagine Bryen, armed with brushes and maybe a palette knife, layering thin washes of paint, coaxing form out of the ground. The canvas, a receptive field, absorbing and reflecting his touch. See how the colours blend into each other: viridian, cerulean, and a midnight blue, building up a shifting sense of space. The surface is alive. Those dark linear strokes give it structure, they almost map a hidden architecture. I wonder if Bryen was thinking of the urban landscape, a city veiled in mist and shadow, or perhaps it's something more personal, a veiled emotion trying to come out. I see echoes of the Abstract Expressionists, but with a distinctly European sensibility. The conversation between painters has always inspired me, and still does. It’s nice to be part of it.