Blume 1957

Arnulf Rainer made this drawing, Blume, with ink, probably using a brush or a stick to make these frantic marks. You can almost feel him working, caught in the moment of its creation. The process is out there for all to see. The ink is thick in the middle, a dense core of black, but around the edges it becomes lighter, more open. See how the lines loop and spiral, like tangled threads or wild vines? There’s a raw, unfiltered energy here, a kind of visual scream. Zoom in on that area in the top right corner – see how the lines explode outwards, creating a sense of restless movement. It reminds me a little of Cy Twombly’s work, that same sense of obsessive mark-making. Both artists create these open forms, these explosions of line, that feel so unresolved and alive. Art isn’t about answers, right? It’s about endless questions and possibilities.