Red head, blue body 1936

Meret Oppenheim made this painting of a red head and blue body with oil on canvas. I can almost feel the way the brush moved here, laying down these blocks of color. The surface looks smooth, like she worked the paint in layers, maybe even scraping some away to get that even tone. I love the boldness of those shapes. That red circle hovering above the lumpy blue form - it’s kind of playful, and a little surreal. I wonder if she was thinking about the relationship between the conscious and the subconscious when she made this? That hole in the blue form—is that a portal, a place for thoughts to pass through? The thin white lines feel like a delicate connection, like thoughts or memories linking the head and body together. It's a dance between intention and chance. Oppenheim is in conversation with other artists. It reminds me of Hilma af Klint! And now we get to join in, adding our own interpretations, and keeping the conversation going.