Cin-Zin 1945

Karl Knaths made this painting, Cin-Zin, with oil on canvas, and it's a lovely jumble of shapes and colors, like a party in a picture. The colors are muted, but there's a boldness to the way he's slapped them down. I'm drawn to how Knaths builds this world with texture. Look at that stroke of brown with the squiggles crawling on top! It reminds me of a curtain, or maybe even a strange animal. See how the white almost seems to glow against the darker, earthier tones? The paint isn't trying to hide itself; it’s thick, present, and almost wants to be touched. Knaths reminds me a bit of Stuart Davis, another American painter who loved to play with signs and symbols. And just like Davis, Knaths invites us to look beyond the surface. Is it abstract, or a still life? Does it matter? Either way, it feels like a conversation, an exchange of ideas, and a reminder that art is always in motion, always becoming.