Tropical South America 15s 70w

Creative Rationale

This composition captures the high Andean plateau of southern Peru or northern Bolivia, where extreme altitude creates the dramatically low atmospheric pressure reading. The calm wind and moderate humidity translate into broader, flowing gestural passages rather than violent slashing marks, while the temperature anomaly drives an aggressive palette of heated flesh tones and cadmium yellows colliding with cooler passages. The low pressure manifests as compressed, overlapping forms that press urgently against the picture plane, creating the spatial tension characteristic of de Kooning's most powerful works.