Abstract Head, Black-Yellow-Purple c. 1922

Alexej von Jawlensky made this painting, Abstract Head, Black-Yellow-Purple, using oil paints, with a colour palette of black, yellow, and purple – surprise! The artist takes a process-oriented approach to artmaking, letting the colours and shapes emerge intuitively. The material aspects of the work – the texture, colour, surface, and the physicality of the medium – are all important here. The paint is applied in thin layers, allowing the colours to blend and create a sense of depth. Looking closely, you can see the brushstrokes and the subtle variations in tone. Take the ‘nose’ for example, it’s a strong triangle of white, next to a stripe of green, which is a great contrast. This kind of thing is so interesting to me, like a formal experiment that opens up into something else. Jawlensky reminds me of Marsden Hartley, an early American modernist, whose use of bold colours and simplified forms also create a sense of spiritual intensity. Ultimately, this painting is about embracing ambiguity and multiple interpretations, rather than seeking fixed or definitive meanings.