Transverse Line 1923

Wassily Kandinsky made this painting, Transverse Line, using oil on canvas. There’s this central eye-like shape with a dark pupil. It’s surrounded by a pale yellow ground, like a spotlight. This reminds me that painting is a process of seeing and that paintings invite us to see the world differently. Kandinsky’s surfaces aren't brushed so much as gently massaged. The textures look dry and chalky, the colors matte. The black lines have a graphic effect, and this combined with the texture makes me think of fresco painting. It's very elegant. The longer I look, the more this painting feels like a conversation between figuration and abstraction, and the more I am reminded of Joan Miró. Ultimately, Transverse Line, for me, stands as a reminder that art is never finished, but always continuing.