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Lot Essay
“Each color has its own climate, creates its own particular world; inviolate, each colour speaks with quiet seduction,” Helen Khal claimed on colour (Nammour, C., Helen Khal, Beirut: Fine Arts Consulting and Publishing, 2004, p.23). With that said, Khal explored the diversity of different colours and the relationship between them during her years training at ALBA under the guidance of art teachers Cesar Gemayel (1898-1958) and Fernando Manetti (1899-1964). There, her style leaned more towards French Impressionism; focusing solely on color. In Helen’s work, abstraction and figuration complement each other, possibly influenced by her encounter with both Colour Field Painting and Contemporary Realism during her time in America. Despite her love for abstraction, she constantly felt the need to return to the human figure and to the obvious shapes borrowed from nature. ‘An abstract eye alone finally leads to creative sterility; by the same token, to deny abstract neglects the presence of a significant underlying structure in life’ (Nammour, C., Helen Khal, Beirut: Fine Arts Consulting and Publishing, 2004, p.12).
This present work, painted in 1972, shows just how Khal was able to merge different concepts of abstraction whilst still relying on the basic human figure. In the foreground is an image of a faceless woman holding a bouquet of flowers painted in orange and yellow hues while the background is a block of warm orange, accompanied by a patch of light, cool blue to contrast the figure and the background. Obviously inspired by the by the styles most relevant to Khal’s time, the artist shows her ability in merging abstraction and figuration as well as proving her fearless use of colour. To some extent, Khal’ figurative depiction of the woman set against an abstract background defined by colour is reminiscent of Edward Hopper’s scenes as well as the knowledge of colour that’s brought forth in the works of David Hockney.
As Ms. Riviere mentions, ‘In my opinion, Helen Khal’s best works were done during the early 70’s; she was a great colorist, and my piece exemplifies her best.'
This present work, painted in 1972, shows just how Khal was able to merge different concepts of abstraction whilst still relying on the basic human figure. In the foreground is an image of a faceless woman holding a bouquet of flowers painted in orange and yellow hues while the background is a block of warm orange, accompanied by a patch of light, cool blue to contrast the figure and the background. Obviously inspired by the by the styles most relevant to Khal’s time, the artist shows her ability in merging abstraction and figuration as well as proving her fearless use of colour. To some extent, Khal’ figurative depiction of the woman set against an abstract background defined by colour is reminiscent of Edward Hopper’s scenes as well as the knowledge of colour that’s brought forth in the works of David Hockney.
As Ms. Riviere mentions, ‘In my opinion, Helen Khal’s best works were done during the early 70’s; she was a great colorist, and my piece exemplifies her best.'