La Grande Vallée XVI, Pour Iva 1983

Joan Mitchell's "La Grande Vallée XVI, Pour Iva" presents us with a canvas dominated by sweeping strokes of blue, yellow, and green. Notice how the color blue, often linked to the Virgin Mary in religious art as a symbol of purity, cloaks the upper regions of the canvas, evoking a sense of the divine. The composition, with its vibrant bursts of color emerging from the depths, reminds me of the Renaissance "Madonna in the Meadow" imagery, where the divine is found amidst earthly nature. But here, nature is not gently ordered; rather, it is a furious, ecstatic expression. Consider the association of light and enlightenment, a concept as old as civilization itself. Light pushes through the deep blues, mirroring the "Lux Nova", the divine light that permeates sacred spaces, bringing spiritual awakening and hope. It is a powerful force engaging us on a deep, subconscious level. The colors dance through time, resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings in different historical contexts.