Landing 1958

Jean-Paul Riopelle made this painting, called 'Landing', with oil paint, but when we don't know exactly when. The thing about Riopelle is his art looks like something made in the moment, but if you look closely, you see it’s all deliberate. It’s like he’s building something brick by brick with these confident palette knife strokes. There is a real tactile quality to this painting, and it makes me think about process. Look how he's layered the paint, thick and juicy, like he's sculpting with it. Notice that little red streak slashing diagonally across the lower right. It’s so quick and sure, it’s almost like a signature. It’s these gestures, these pops of color, that hold the whole thing together. Riopelle reminds me a bit of Joan Mitchell, in that they both had a very physical relationship with painting. The painting becomes a record of an event, a place, a feeling. It's not about illustrating something, it’s about creating an experience. And honestly, what that experience is, is up to you.