Composition

Jean-Paul Riopelle
1950
Palette knife, Flat, Automatism, Abstract expressionism


About a meter wide and tall, this artwork is in Riopelle's typical style: thick, flat, square chunks of paint applied with a palette knife. The color scheme is all-over.

When Riopelle joined the Automatistes, he was taught by Paul-Emile Borduas about subconscious painting: once you learned to let go of everything, you could paint without thinking. Ten years later, this is what resulted from their influence on his technique.

Detail