Noir d'ivoire IV 2008

Monique Orsini made Noir d'ivoire IV, a black and white abstract painting, sometime in the 20th or 21st century. It's a study in contrasts, with bold, decisive marks dancing across the canvas. The stark palette forces you to focus on the process. The piece has a raw, immediate feel. You can almost hear the swish of the brush, the scratching of the tool used to create these marks. Thick and thin paints are mixed with sweeping gestures. The forms aren't quite recognizable, yet there's a sense of rhythm. Look at the lower right corner, the way the lines converge, creating a sort of vortex. It’s almost floral but quickly dissolves into abstraction. Orsini’s work reminds me of Franz Kline, in that the painting is less about representation and more about gesture, about the energy of the artist's hand. It's a reminder that art isn't about answers but about opening up spaces for new ways of seeing.