The Survivors 1950

Desmond Morris made this painting, The Survivors, with a bold palette. The texture feels almost primal; it’s got that raw, earthy vibe. The ochre background is scumbled, almost like wet sand, then these creatures are placed on top. I’m struck by the color and shape. How the forms are simplified, almost like a child’s drawing. The legs, these thin sticks, grounding the more bulbous shapes of the bodies. Look how the paint is laid down, so directly, with minimal blending or fuss. The directness feels important. Each mark declares itself. You can see how the artist has allowed the paint to be itself, which, to me, speaks to the larger theme. Morris reminds me of Joan Miró, with that love for organic shapes. But in a way, Morris is more literal. The conversation of art, right? It’s all about that exchange, that push and pull. The ambiguity of these forms – are they animals, humans, or something else entirely? It's a reminder that art thrives on open-endedness.