Untitled 1922

Lyubov Popova put brush to canvas to make this painting, slashing, and layering the paint to create these interlocking geometric forms in a palette of blacks and whites. I try to imagine what it was like for her, the physical and intellectual challenge of building up this composition. Her focus must have been intense, trying to balance the dark and light elements. The painting’s surface has a beautiful texture, which invites us to engage with the work on a sensory level. I can see and almost feel the push and pull, the weight of her mark-making. Her art, like that of other painters, becomes a form of embodied expression. As a painter myself, I know that artists are in an ongoing conversation with one another. Popova was probably inspired by other artists, and she, in turn, has inspired many. So it goes…and the ambiguity of this piece will allow each viewer to find their own meaning.