Studie 390 1941

This hypnotic geometric study was made by Hans Hinterreiter. Imagine him at his desk, surrounded by protractors and rulers, carefully plotting the pattern. It’s a dance of black, white, and acid green triangles, all locked into a tight, repeating grid. Each shape is crisply defined, creating a sense of order and precision. I’m thinking about the hand, how it methodically filled in each section, transforming a blank surface into this vibrant configuration. There’s a playful tension between the static geometry and the almost hallucinatory effect of the repeated pattern. I see a connection between Hinterreiter’s systematic approach and the work of Josef Albers, who also explored the perceptual possibilities of geometric forms, with the important distinction of math rather than colour theory. And that’s the thing about painting, isn’t it? It’s a conversation across time, with artists constantly riffing on each other’s ideas, pushing boundaries, and inviting us to see the world in new ways.