Whenever I visit an exhibition, there are certain works that catch my eye for various reasons, and it’s not always the same ones. Perhaps it’s the texture, the technique, the colours, or perhaps I’m simply standing in front of the work, and it fills me with wonder without my knowing why, as if there were a connection with the artist’s intention.

I often look at artworks, particularly abstract ones, but also surrealist pieces such as those in this spectacular exhibition, and find myself gazing at them because within them there are figures or shapes that I can see but which other people sometimes cannot, as if they were hidden messages left by the artists; or at least that is how it often seems to me.

All the works in the exhibition were enormous, and that was one of the predominant features; furthermore, works by different artists were on display, and in this case I selected the ones that made the greatest impression on me for various reasons, those I found myself staring at and the ones I liked the most. The whole exhibition was marvellous at the great Pompidou Centre, which, like so many other museums, is always a word of excellence. Stepping through the entrance is, more often than not, like entering a magical world.

Some of the works I selected are best appreciated or look marvellous when viewed from a distance, and these are the ones I didn’t take close-up photos of or from specific angles. In contrast, with others, I was fascinated by the detail visible up close, such as the impasto or the use of various materials.

Blue Granada, 1946, Wols, oil on canvas.

In the museum, there’s always plenty of information next to each artwork, and I like to take a photo of it so I can read it carefully later and find out more about it. This painter moved in surrealist circles, but initially he produced watercolours. It was only after the Second World War that he devoted himself to painting, particularly abstract works, featuring impasto, scratches and incisions that evoke the animal and plant kingdoms. This work expresses a contained force that threatens to spill over the black outline.

Untitled, 1954, Joan Mitchell, oil on canvas

Mitchell is one of the most important exponents of American Abstract Expressionism. She knew Pollock, amongst other artists. This work features vigorous brushstrokes and drips covering the canvas. For her, each work was an attempt to rekindle visual sensations linked to a life experience.

Homage to Marshal Turenne, 1952, Georges Mathieu, oil on canvas.

This artist created enormous, monumental canvases through which he expressed his lyrical abstraction; some even related to specific figures or events, as in this case. According to the information provided, this painting was completed quite quickly given its size, as it had to be ready for an important event. A red background with black marks, impasto and splashes.

Planet Nature, 1960, Kazuo Shiraga, oil on canvas.

What is striking about this work is that the artist painted it whilst hanging upside down over the canvas and using his feet to apply the paint; this is why he is known as the ‘acrobatic painter’. It is one of the most outstanding works within the Japanese Gutai group. The gestural energy and philosophy of that group are evident, where technique is considered just as important as the result.

Painting 120, 1960, Manolo Millares, oil on burlap, twine.

This artist discovered Surrealism before turning to abstraction in 1951. He works on the canvas by tearing it, sewing it and covering it with paint. He was one of the founders of the El Paso group, which opposed Francoist culture. In this work, one can see the tears in the canvas and the gestural violence alluding to the artist’s political dissent.

Inferno Hallelujah, 1964, Ernst Wilhelm Nay, oil on canvas.

This might seem to be part of a universe with planets, for example, but I see many eyes within circles, and the circles represent emotions. Taken together, I feel as though I am looking inwards. In this case, the interpretation is personal.

Centre of Dominance, 1958, Judit Reigl, oil on canvas.

This is a Hungarian artist who, in 1950, turned to abstract, physical gestural painting with the aim of achieving total automatism, both physically and psychologically. This painting belongs to a series featuring swirls of black paint; she then throws paint in clumps onto the centre of the canvas and uses a curved blade in a centripetal motion, thus creating a spiral shape. It evokes the movement of the planets and oscillates between bursts and circular falls, drawing everything into an infinite vortex.

The artist who painted this work explains that she created it after visiting a cave where she sensed a presence, a sort of circle without a centre. This is how she expressed the emotions she felt, in this case, the sensation of spinning round and round. Above all, I love the range of colours, the movement and the impasto.

I consider all these works to be marvellous; each one has something special about it. And, of course, on leaving the museum, I enjoyed browsing the shop, where you can buy souvenirs or various items relating to the exhibitions currently on display.

Thank you very much for joining me today; I wish you all a very happy Sunday. See you soon.
Amonet.

All photographs are my own.