Profile With Vase Of Flowers Ver. I #3

Acrylic on Paper

16" x 20"

In this distinctive Peter Max painting, 'Profile with Vase of Flowers,' the artist unites two of his most celebrated subjects with a broad use of negative space. The Japanese concept of 'Ma,' a term for space or a pause, holds that the space between and around objects in a work has as much importance as the rest of the artwork. It focuses the viewer on the intention of the work through the quiet space around the subjects.

The subjects here are painted in Max's exuberant, expressionistic style and his bold, fauvist colors. The balance between the negative and positive space enhances the composition, giving the eye a place to rest from the exhilarating movement of the brushwork. Just as breaks of silence in music give listeners a time for contemplation; the negative space in this work creates a meditative space. As French composer Claude Debussy wrote - the music is not in the notes, but in the spaces in between them. 

©ALP, Inc.