Barreras Melódicas 1948

Xul Solar made this, Barreras Melódicas, with watercolor, exploring a landscape of pointy mountains and linear paths. It feels like a system, maybe even a game or a musical score. The hand of the artist is present, but the geometric abstraction leads to a depersonalized vision of a world. The texture is smooth but gives the illusion of dimension. There are small figures ascending ladders, so we get a sense of scale. Look how he creates a kind of otherworldly atmosphere, with a palette of muted browns, purples, and yellows. The shading on the mountains is soft, giving them a rounded, almost fleshy quality. I love the way the ladders create lines and angles against the curves of the mountains. It's as if the artist is mapping out a journey, both physical and spiritual. Solar reminds me a bit of Hilma af Klint, another artist who was interested in spiritualism and abstraction. I think art is about creating spaces for multiple interpretations, and this piece really embodies that idea.