The Alchemist of Color, a poem by Yves Bonnefoy, has captivated me for over a decade. It was published in La Vie errante (The Errant Life) in 1993, and when I read it, I decided it would be the subject of my thesis in school.
Yves Bonnefoy started a new genre of poetry that serves as art critique. It’s an amazingly fascinating genre, and flips the concept of “a picture is worth a thousand words” on its head. It seems to tap into an Ancient Greek philosophy that “as is painting so is poetry” or “ut pictura poesis.”
The concept here is that though an image can capture something indescribable in a succinct manner, if words are used in a certain way, they can do that for an image, or even a lifetime of imagery, as in The Alchemist of Color. This poem describes the life and body of work of Mondrian, and honestly, this poem is what gave me an appreciation for his work.
But more so than that, what truly captivated me was the simple phrase:
…la lumière du monde n’est qu’un reflet de la véritable…même le plein midi n’est qu’une ombre.
Or, in English, “…the light of the world is nothing but a reflection of truth…even high noon is nothing but a shadow.”
I have thought about this phrase somewhat obsessively over the years, and it shows up in many of my paintings. It has meant a variety of things to me over time, and yet it always rings true. I would love to hear what you think of it!
As always, may beauty surround you. Before you and behind you. Above you and about you. And may your journey home be on a trail of peace. Happily may you return.
So much love to you.