Quadrate diagonal 1943

This is a painting by Adolf Fleischmann, called Quadrate diagonal. I love the way the shapes interlock, like a puzzle that is coming together even as it falls apart. Look at those pinks and blues, how they softly bleed into one another! I wonder, did Fleischmann plan this out meticulously, or did it all come together through a process of trial and error, you know, the way one mark leads to another? I imagine him, brush in hand, stepping back, squinting, adding a touch of orange here, a dab of black there. The paint looks thin, almost watery in places, allowing the surface beneath to peek through. I feel like I can sense his presence, his curiosity, his willingness to embrace the unexpected. And those diagonals! They add a real energy, a sense of movement that keeps the eye dancing across the surface. He's clearly in conversation with other artists, especially the Bauhaus painters. It's like he's taking their ideas and running with them, pushing them in new directions. It all feels open and unresolved, like a question mark hanging in the air.