Simon dans le choux 1963

Samuel Buri made this painting with big, brave brushstrokes and a juicy palette of reds, purples, yellows, greens, and blues. It’s a riot of color. You can almost feel the artist dancing around the canvas, layering strokes and shapes, adding figures, and then partly erasing them. Look at the solid red figure next to the child—a beautiful and bold presence. I love how the colors have been laid down with such freedom and verve, and that nothing feels too precious or overworked. This reminds me of work by other artists, like the painterly surfaces of Joan Mitchell, or maybe the playful imagery of Tal R. These artists, like Buri, invite us into a world that’s both familiar and strange, where the act of painting itself becomes a subject. It feels like they are all in conversation with one another, across time and space. It's a reminder that painting is a messy, joyous, and deeply human activity.