Red & Blue 2007

Daan Lemaire made this painting, Red & Blue, dimensions 60 x 80 cm, with watercolour, probably in his studio. The way Lemaire has allowed the paint to bleed and run, it feels like he's chasing after something, a feeling or a mood, more than trying to depict anything recognizable. There’s a real sense of movement in this piece, isn't there? Look how the colors aren’t neatly contained, but allowed to spill and mingle, creating these unpredictable textures and gradients. The blues seem to be creeping towards the reds, almost like opposing weather systems meeting in the middle of the canvas. It's like a dance, isn't it? A conversation between two distinct entities, neither overpowering the other, but instead finding a balance in their interactions. Lemaire reminds me of Helen Frankenthaler, or maybe even a slightly less controlled Joan Mitchell. It’s like he’s tapping into that same well of pure expression, using color and form not to represent, but to evoke. And isn’t that what art is all about, really? Leaving room for possibility.