I’m often surprised at how very dissimilar images just look so right when placed together. A couple of times in the last little while I’ve been blown away by the results.

An exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in the UK, paired Cy Twombly (the 20th century American abstract painter) with Nicolas Poussin (19th century French, not an ounce of abstraction). Twombly apparently much admired Poussin and perhaps this set things in motion. Whilst these are  artists that I do not spend much time over, I was fascinated by the effects of the 2 very dissimilar visions displayed together. The works seemed to reach out and touch each other and the exhibition space became part of the exhibit.

Much closer to home (well in our home actually) my wife and I recently hung a few framed watercolours and prints.  Having marginally more wall space than storage space, this was nominally to get them out of the way. So next to my office, out in the hall, landed a 1980′s Rijksmuseum poster and a considerably older watercolour landscape. I now walk by them constantly of course. I have to say that the print was bought at a summer fair, with the express purpose of reusing the excellent frame. In contrast, we are quite fond of the watercolour which has been with us for some time, a very competent traditional landscape.

Anyway there’s something now going on between the two and they look brilliant together. In a good painting there is balance, or discord, or tension: there is something making it sing. This extends to wider spaces and hanging paintings that “work” together is a fine example.  The result is greater than the sum of the parts. To my eye both pieces are brought up and interact: in the media used (the same, they are both watercolours), the palette  (quite compatible) and  styles (wildly different). I could also go on about size, eras, intent etc., but I won’ t. I’m now thinking about the impact I might get if I pair other dissimilar images in unusual ways. Watch this space!

On a bright sunny day, my wife and I sometimes Iike a quick hop across the border to Ogdensburg, New York. The treat for me is a visit to the Frederic Remington Museum: Classics of American art, the dream of the Wild West, painted (and sculpted) not an hour from Ottawa.

Now if Frederic Remington had worked elsewhere, I might not take such an interest, but it’s a fascinating bit of Americana right here on our doorstep. Remington spent much of his working life in Ogdensburg and surprisingly didn’t actually spend much time out west. In 1900 he wrote to his wife: “Shall never come west again-It is all brick buildings-derby hats and blue overalls-it spoils my early illusion-and they are my capital”.

He had some trouble shaking off the tag of being “just an illustrator”, probably with some reason, at least initially, but then I particularly like his later nocturnes where he got more painterly in palette and technique. The western subject matter may just be a romantic fiction, but there’s no doubting his competence and he was a master at painting horses. He was one of the first artists to correctly paint a horse at a gallop. Prior to Remington, they all got the gait wrong.

My wife loves his now super pricey bronzes and he was at least as well known for these.

As you might expect the museum does a great job as a memorial to the work and the man. Lunch is just around the corner at the somewhat drolly named Busy Corner Cafe (234 Ford St.) and then there’s always time for a bit of shopping for basics.

All in all a very nice day out!