Two Blue Vases

Here, parallel bud vases on a precariously angled tabletop are rendered in short strokes, sometimes heavy with paint, other times in a thin wash. Strong black curves anchor the still life to a backdrop filled with signs of motion. We imagine figures moving in the background or curtains waving before an open window, tossing flashes of sunlight and flickering shadows. Carles felt subject to be subordinate to the painter's response to a subject. "Those who look to painting to find object matter are not in need of paintings. They should go to the theatre," he said.