Improvisation 19 1911

Wassily Kandinsky made Improvisation 19 with oil on canvas, and when I look at it, I see a really interesting approach to mark-making, particularly in the way he uses broad brushstrokes and a vibrant colour palette. It’s clear that the process of artmaking, the doing of it, was really important to Kandinsky. There's a fascinating tension between the fluidity of the colours and the boldness of the black lines, a kind of dance that takes place across the canvas. Look at the top right, where those thick black lines seem to cascade down like dark waterfalls. They cut through the soft blues and purples, creating a powerful contrast. The paint application isn't super thick, but you can still feel the energy of his gestures. It’s like he’s inviting us to witness the moment of creation itself, the painting being like a world. Kandinsky's work reminds me a little of Hilma af Klint, another artist who was exploring abstraction around the same time. Both were interested in using art to express spiritual or emotional states, embracing the open endedness of art, its ambiguities.