As I was scrolling through Instagram recently, the colors of this painting by Carol Gillott stopped me in my tracks. There may be science to explain my attraction; the roofs, chimney pots, and building facades are, after all, based upon a triad of primaries. But I’m not sure that accounts entirely for the immediate emotional impact that this little piece and other color combinations stir up in me.
Carol Gillott, writes the blog Paris Breakfast. Her caption for this piece says it all: “Like Paris cats we’re stuck at home, looking out the window…waiting.”
Over the years I have cut out and saved hundreds of images from magazines and catalogs, taken countless photos, and even have a box filled with scraps of paired fabrics, all the result of being seduced by the effect of various side-by-side colors.
My hoard is partly for inspiration, but it has also become something of retreat, a place of escape that requires nothing from me — not even thinking.
It’s a collection that celebrates color for it’s own sake, recognizing the power that different hues have upon each other. One might make a comparison to the way that a chorus of diverse voices brings richness and depth to a concert that just isn’t the same with a soloist.
I’ve rotated some of these images in an effort to make them a bit more ambiguous; I’d rather you didn’t see them as “things”.
Instead, dive deeply into the colors alone.
❖
I didn’t have the opportunity to see the much revered Hilma af Klint exhibition Paintings For The Future at the Guggenheim Museum last year. However, due to the coronavirus shutting independent theater doors, a documentary about af Klint and her work, Beyond the Visible: Hilma af Klint can now be seen via streaming in “virtual theaters” (cost $12). It’s available through numerous venues, giving you a choice of which one you’d like to support. While not the same as visiting the work in person, this film finally gives a little-known and ground-breaking artist her due, shedding light on her tremendous oeuvre and the sheer force of her vision. Among other elements, I find her use of color captivating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRFzfVFmrKM