Mykene 1954

Willi Baumeister made this print, Mykene, at an unknown date using lithography. I can only imagine how the artist must have moved the lithographic crayon in repeated gestures to create its array of lines. These marks are a vocabulary of simple forms, each one alive with its own energy. Baumeister’s color palette is restrained: muted shades of grey, salmon, and cream. This gives the print a somewhat earthy, archaeological feel. I can imagine the artist making the plate, maybe thinking about finding forms, how shapes might almost appear from the earth. The composition is balanced yet mysterious, like a set of cryptic figures or totems. There’s something very playful and musical about these images—the arrangement is like a score, or a game to be deciphered. It reminds me a bit of Paul Klee, who I'm sure Baumeister was looking at. He would have been inspired by Klee’s ability to create an entire world from just a few simple marks. Artists are always in conversation, after all!