Black Circle 1923

Kazimir Malevich made this ‘Black Circle’ sometime in the early 20th century, and I can only imagine the kind of headspace you need to be in to commit to a form like that. I mean, what could be more fundamental than a circle, right? And then, to just fill it in with black – it’s almost punk, like ripping it up and starting again, but with paint. Up close, you can see it’s not just one flat tone. There are subtle shifts in the black, like it was built up in layers, or maybe even dragged across the surface with something. I love the way the edge isn’t perfect either; it’s got this kind of fuzzy, handmade quality. It makes me think of the way Agnes Martin would obsess over her grids, trying to find perfection in imperfection. Maybe Malevich was trying to do something similar, pushing painting to its barest bones to see what’s left.