Green Abstraction (Abstraction verte), 1941

In 1956, Borduas described Green Abstraction as his “first totally non-preconceived painting” and “one of the forerunners of the Automatiste tempest already gathering on the horizon.” To him the painting was not preconceived; it was not planned in advance, a final result or goal to be achieved in mind. Even its unconscious meaning is elusive. Interpretation begins once the work is finished; it is sometimes signified in the title (though not in this case) or can be discovered through conversations about the work.