Quadrant I 1957

Jose de Almada-Negreiros made this geometric abstraction, Quadrant I, with paint, probably oil or acrylic, on canvas, and the first thing you notice is the stark black and white contrast. The neat lines shooting out from that one corner remind me of a compass or maybe the Big Bang. It’s so simple, yet so dynamic. You can almost feel the energy bursting outwards. I really get the sense that Almada-Negreiros was interested in the physical process of painting. The white lines feel like they have been applied with precision, carefully placed. What strikes me most are the variations in the paint’s surface. The black areas are dense and opaque, like they have been built up in layers. This focus on surface makes me think of Mondrian, but where Mondrian is all about measured balance, Quadrant I has this raw, almost aggressive energy. It suggests to me that art is a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas and approaches across time.