The Crowd 1915

Wyndham Lewis built this crowd out of umber, ochre, sienna, and a bit of red - a scene of urban life, maybe, or something more psychological... I think of him pushing the paint around, trying to create a sense of depth and chaos, working and reworking the surface. I wonder if he was trying to capture the feeling of being lost in a crowd, that sense of anonymity and disorientation. See how the geometric forms create these claustrophobic spaces, trapping the figures within the architecture of the city? It's as though the crowd becomes a labyrinth of its own. The small touches of red feel like sparks of energy or maybe danger, drawing your eye through the painting. It reminds me of Léger, but with a darker, more critical edge. You can imagine the exchange of ideas between them and other painters—artists in conversation, challenging each other to see the world in new ways. I’m inspired to go back to my studio. What about you?