White chapel 1951

Eugene Brands made "White Chapel" in 1957, and what strikes me is the way the whole scene seems to come to life through these very direct marks. There's a real sense of the hand in this work; it's not about hiding the process. Look at how the paint sits on the surface, thick and opaque in some areas, almost scrubbed in others. The colors, muted and dreamy, create a kind of otherworldly atmosphere. Notice the figure to the left, a bulbous form in blue. There's a playful, almost childlike quality to the way Brands has rendered the figure, with just a few strokes suggesting details. It reminds me a bit of some of Dubuffet's more whimsical works, where the everyday is transformed into something strange and wonderful. "White Chapel" isn't trying to give us answers, but instead invites us to get lost in its charmingly chaotic world.