Children 1954

Charles Blackman made this painting, Children, with oil on canvas, and right away, you see how Blackman simplifies form, using a kind of blocky approach to the bodies. This isn't about perfection, but more about the feeling. Look at how the paint is applied – not too thick, not too thin, but just right to let the colours speak. See how he’s mixed blues and greys and blacks, creating this strange atmosphere. The details are in how these colors meet each other, kinda hazy. The girl’s faceless head is a trip, isn't it? It almost feels like a void, an absence that makes you wonder about identity. Blackman's work reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker, who was also trying to capture something essential about the human condition through really simple forms. Both artists let the medium do its thing, and in the process, we get something that feels deeply, honestly human. Art isn't about answers, it's about embracing the questions.