Composition IV 1911

Wassily Kandinsky made this painting, Composition IV, with oil on canvas; a wild and uninhibited expression of form. You can almost hear the music playing. Kandinsky’s process feels immediate. Like the marks were made quickly, and without hesitation. Fluid pools of yellows, blues, and reds are juxtaposed with staccato lines and angular shapes. It's a riot of color. The rainbow-like curve in the lower-left pulls you in and echoes the bigger curve of the blue mound in the center. It acts like an anchor point in what could otherwise feel like total chaos. I always think of Joan Miró when looking at Kandinsky. Both had a knack for making abstract painting feel playful and deeply personal. Kandinsky wasn’t trying to paint things as they appear in the world; he was after something more interior, emotional, and messy. It’s a reminder that art doesn't always need to make sense to be felt.