Un enfant séparé 2018

Cricorps made this small oil painting, Un enfant séparé, sometime after 1953 using bright colours and bold lines to convey the idea of a family kneeling before a church. The paint in this work is applied thickly, almost sculpted onto the surface to give a textured feel. Look at the swirling lines of blue and orange that define the clothes of the parents - see how the artist has let the colours vibrate against each other. Up close you can see the individual brushstrokes that build up the image and give it such energy. This direct, process-oriented approach reminds me of the work of outsider artists like Bill Traylor, whose raw and expressive paintings convey a similar sense of immediacy. What I like about both of these artists is that their works show the making process, and invite the viewer to imagine how the artworks were made. It makes the art feel very alive, as if the image has grown organically from the surface.