Vrijschrift 1984

Editor: This is "Vrijschrift," an acrylic on canvas piece from 1984 by Eugene Brands. It's a swirl of color and shapes that feels almost like…a child's exuberant, messy handwriting. It looks unplanned. What do you see in it? Curator: Unplanned, maybe, but beautifully so! For me, it sings of joyful abandon, a playground of hues. Brands was connected with the CoBrA group, and they strived for that very thing, you know— spontaneity. These aren’t just colours, they are emotions on full display, pure and unfiltered. Tell me, does the contrast between the more grounded earth tones and the airy white space speak to you at all? Editor: I think I see what you mean; it's not just messy chaos, but almost controlled chaos. Like someone playing the piano really fast, hitting some wrong notes, but the energy is still incredible. The contrast highlights both the grounded and… ungroundedness? Curator: Precisely! The CoBrA artists saw childlike expression as a potent weapon against conformity and cold rationalism. In this, I almost sense a rejection of pretense; the artwork invites viewers to tap into their own reservoir of unbridled creative potential. That streak of blue against the warm yellow makes my heart sing! What feelings come to mind as you look at this composition? Editor: Mostly…freedom? The colours aren’t bound by lines, there is so much open space. Like potential. Now that you point it out, it makes me want to go scribble and see what happens. Curator: Exactly. That’s its enduring magic, that sense of invitation. Editor: This conversation completely shifted my understanding – I see now it's less about chaos and more about liberated expression. Curator: It's amazing what a little freedom will show us. I hope that our listeners can see and hear that too!