Flames 1961

Johannes Itten made "Flames" using watercolor and pencil in 1961. Look at the orange fading into the yellow and blue. It’s as if the color is bleeding, the shades dissolving into one another. I can imagine Itten making this. Maybe he was lost in the flow of the watercolor, watching it bloom and spread across the page, pushing the water around with a brush, and the painting emerges. The vertical strokes of color, layered with pencil, give structure. See how some are dark and dense, while others are light, almost like the paint is thinning out. The effect is strangely calming. Did he want to evoke a sense of movement, or maybe a quiet, reflective moment? This reminds me of Paul Klee's playful explorations of color and form. Both artists shared a deep interest in the expressive possibilities of abstract forms. For me, painting is always a conversation – with myself, with the materials, and with other artists.