Painterly Architectonic 1918

Lyubov Popova created this Painterly Architectonic as an experiment, a construction of flat shapes in oil paint. What grabs me first is the push and pull of colour. Those oranges, yellows, browns, whites, blues and blacks! It's clear that the act of painting was a way of thinking through form. I love how the planes of colour tilt and collide, creating a real sense of movement. There's nothing wishy-washy here. The colours are bold, confident, and applied with an assured hand. Up close, you can see the texture of the paint, built up in layers, giving the surface a palpable depth. Look at the confident strokes of the brush, you can almost feel the energy of the artist. Popova's work is like a conversation with other artists, Kazimir Malevich comes to mind. Like him she was keen to develop a purely abstract visual language.