Formula of Spring 1920

Editor: So, we're looking at Pavel Filonov's "Formula of Spring," painted in 1920. It’s a painting, a complete whirlwind of color and fragmented shapes. I'm struck by how chaotic, yet vibrant, it is. What strikes you most when you look at this piece? Curator: I immediately consider the revolutionary context in which this was created. Filonov was deeply engaged in the social transformation of his time, and I see that reflected in the very act of painting. Consider the sheer labor involved in applying so many tiny, distinct brushstrokes. It is not just about depiction but about the physical making, the repetitive process that mirrors the industrialized labor of the era. Editor: That’s interesting! So, you see a connection between the meticulousness of the technique and the broader social context of labor? Curator: Absolutely. Filonov wasn’t just creating an image; he was enacting a process that speaks to the value, and perhaps even the fragmentation, of human effort in a rapidly changing world. Look at the materiality of the paint itself—how it's layered and built up. This isn't just about "spring"; it's about the material conditions of producing an idea of spring during revolution. Does that give you a new way of viewing it? Editor: It really does. I was so caught up in the visual chaos, I missed that potential commentary. It makes me think about how artmaking itself can be a form of labor. Curator: Exactly. By emphasizing process and materiality, we move beyond the purely aesthetic and start to see the painting as a product of, and a commentary on, its own social and economic circumstances. It becomes a document of labor. Editor: That’s given me a whole new perspective. I'll definitely look at art with an eye to its production from now on. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Seeing art through the lens of its making always enriches the experience.