Australasia 60s 100e

Creative Rationale

Over the Southern Ocean near the remote Kerguelen Islands at 60 degrees south latitude, violent winds slash across the frigid waters under crushing low pressure, creating conditions of raw atmospheric turbulence. The moderate wind speed of 8.6 m/s drives aggressive diagonal cuts across the composition, while the extreme cold temperature anomaly transforms de Kooning's usual flesh palette into harsh greys and blacks punctuated by violent slashes of acidic yellow. The crushing low pressure compresses forms against the picture plane, while high humidity and light precipitation create running passages of diluted color that cut through the aggressive paint surface like razor wounds.