Untitled 

Constantin Blendea made this untitled painting sometime in the twentieth century. Blendea was Romanian, so we might interpret this collection of shapes as an attempt to explore the role of the individual in the Eastern Bloc, and how it related to the state. The cool tones and simple geometric forms could be interpreted as the coldness of the communist state and the blending together of individuality for the good of a collective. At this time, the communist government had control over institutions of art. Artists had to make a choice about either producing socialist realism or working in secret. Blendea chose a third path of abstraction that critiques institutions of control, while still appearing politically neutral. As art historians, we research the political history of Romania at this time, along with the artist's life and political associations. We interpret abstract art as something meaningful that reflects the historical events and political issues in which it was made.