Manouchehr Yektaie is considered a painter-poet as attested by the painting in this catalog. A rebellion of colors and violent brushstrokes in this work has created visual poetry. Perhaps the fact that he abandoned his academic studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts could explain such a daunting madness. Nevertheless, he continued his experiments as a student of Amédée Ozenfant, 19th century French painter and critic, at École des Beaux-Arts, Paris.
This stunning painting is a remarkable example of Yektaie’s work, clearly indicating that he cannot be categorized in a single class of painters. He evaded Iranian manifestos and classifications and strived to find his way in the context of a global Modernism. All these efforts led Yektaie, as an Iranian painter living outside Iran for more than half a century, to secure himself a place in the School of New York Painters. His works have been exhibited time and again along with works of great artists of the School, including Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, and Willem de Kooning, in large-scale exhibitions in New York.
Pretention and temptation is often absent in such works of Yektaie. Thus these works depict a kind of light-hearted vibrant life. His paintings show happiness and good quality of life in general. Even though he practiced a modern style, he never abandoned Romanticism and joys of life. His fascination with vibrant colors suggests a peaceful mind and soul. Paint is often applied on marble white surfaces thus a minimum of brushstrokes create a maximum effect of colors on canvas.
