Dieser Stern lehrt beugen 1940

Paul Klee made 'Dieser Stern lehrt beugen' or 'This Star Teaches Bending', in Bern, Switzerland, using a brush and ink. The star in the title is a playful contradiction to the overall feel of this piece, which seems to have a serious tone. The application of ink feels like an experiment with the brush and its mark-making capacity. Thick strokes are dragged across the surface to produce a variety of linear forms. The materiality of the ink is rich and opaque. The blue background is quite thin, and the layering of these materials gives the piece depth. Look at the top left of the image, the brush strokes here come together to create a kind of abstract glyph. This area shows how Klee embraces a process of intuitive building. Klee's works have a kinship with the later paintings of Philip Guston. Both artists demonstrate a love for simple forms and elemental gestures. Ultimately, Klee’s work reminds us that art thrives in ambiguity and openness.