Simplicity in painting

I remember a fragment from a Vincent Van Gogh’s letter… He was discouraged, depressed. He wrote Theo about his doubts, about the fact that, maybe, he was no more than “a bloody complementaries painter” (“un maudit peintre de complémentaires”). That is, an artist which simply used the complementaries colors – and not much more – to express himself… Today, there a A LOT of those… A red triangle over a green background and, there you are, a painting… ready to be sold for 5 $ on eBay…

But things are more complex than that, even when simplicity is concerned… and maybe the good word is “essential” painting rather than simple… In some of my paintings, like these ones (some of my friends known them already…) I also use complementary pair of colors: blue and orange, yellow and violet. The design, the composition is also rather simple: the earth, the hay, the sky. A few white clouds. Of course, there is texture and there are nuances of the above mentioned colors. Both paintings are landscapes from 2002 (since I still present my portfolio from that period…) Both, I hope, are rather “essential” and not just pejoratively “simple”…

Imi amintesc de un fragment dintr-o scrisoare a lui Van Gogh… Era descurajat, deprimat si ii scria lui Theo despre indoielile lui, despre faptul ca, poate, nu era decat inca un “blestemat de pictor de complementare”. Un pictor care foloseste culorile complementare ca sa se exprime, asa cum sunt o gramada in zilele noastre… Un triunghi rosu-rosu pe un fond verde-verde si gata tabloul! bun de vandut pe eBay cu 5 $…

Dar lucrurile nu sunt chiar asa de simple, chiar si cand e vorba de simplitate…si poate ca cuvantul cel mai potrivit nu e “simplu” ci, mai curand, “esential”… In unele din picturile mele (ca cele postate aici si pe care unii din prietenii mei le cunosc deja…) si eu folosesc (cum sa eviti?) perechile de culori complementare: albastru si orange, galben si violet. Desenul, compozitia, sunt si ele simple: pamantul, fanul, cerul. Cativa nori albi. Desigur, mai este si textura. Si nuantele culorilor mai sus pomenite…Ambele peisaje sunt din 2002 (ca tot la acea perioada am ramas inca…) Sper ca sunt “esentiale” mai curand decat simpliste…