In the Same Basket (Dans le même panier) from the portfolio Pencil on Shell 1971

Pierre Alechinsky made "In the Same Basket" as part of his portfolio "Pencil on Shell" and just imagining him in the studio, pencil in hand, conjuring this world is exciting. Look at the earthy browns, the splashes of red, and the lush greens. It feels both contained and expansive, doesn’t it? I wonder if he felt like he was wrestling with these shapes, trying to corral them into something meaningful. Those little circular forms scattered throughout, like eggs or seeds, carry such weight. The way the ink sits on the paper gives it a life of its own. I feel like I'm looking at a conversation between forms, a dance between control and chance. What was he thinking when he made this? I see echoes of Miró and maybe a bit of early Guston in this piece; you can see how painters talk to one another across time, can't you? For me, painting is about embracing that messy, uncertain space.