French Cross 1988

Alex Colville made this painting, French Cross, with meticulous care, building up layer upon layer of thin paint. It's process-oriented, alright, slow and steady wins the race, or at least gets the painting done! Look at the way he renders the clouds, they're soft and diffuse, but each brushstroke is precise. The contrast between the wispy sky and the stark geometry of the cross is striking. It's like he's playing with different ways of seeing, different ways of understanding the world. The cross is so clearly defined and rigid, and the sky is cloudy and ambiguous. The smallness of the horse rider compared to the cross makes me think about the individual vs the institution. It reminds me a little of Edward Hopper, that same sense of quiet contemplation, but with a touch more melancholy. Like Hopper, Colville invites us to bring our own stories and associations to the artwork, making it a collaborative experience between artist and viewer. It’s art as a question, not an answer, which, for me, is the best kind.