East and West 1913

Pavel Filonov made this oil on canvas work, East and West, and, wow, it’s like he built it up bit by bit, like a crazy, colourful mosaic. I see these figures crammed in, almost bursting out. What was Filonov thinking, mashing up these characters with such intensity? Each tiny stroke seems to be a building block, trying to construct a whole world, a weird fractured reality where east meets west in a visual shouting match. I think of other artists like Kandinsky who were also trying to find a new language for art. It’s all about digging into the guts of seeing, a total commitment, even when it gets messy or confusing. And isn’t that the point? To keep pushing, keep questioning, and let the painting lead the way? Like art is alive and talks back.