The Ludwigskirche in Munich 1908

Kandinsky made this painting of the Ludwigskirche in Munich with oil on cardboard. I love how the whole thing feels like it's been built up, little dabs of paint everywhere, like the whole canvas is breathing. Up close, you can see each individual mark. It's as if Kandinsky is saying, "Here's the color, here's the brushstroke, here's the energy." Look at how he's created that crowd; each tiny dab of pigment vibrates with life. And then there are those arches above; such solidity rendered with such playful marks. I am drawn to the way the arches above form a dark void, yet the darkness is comprised of many different colours, creating depth and texture. It's not just flat black. Kandinsky reminds me a bit of Arthur Dove in his ability to make something real using marks that are barely representational. It is this sense of open-endedness, that I value above all else in painting.