Venice 1915

Aleksandra Ekster made this artwork, Venice, with oil paint on canvas. What I love about this painting is how the colors vibrate against one another; it feels like the image is constantly moving, like how being in Venice feels! The blue paint is applied in thin layers. It’s almost transparent. But then you’ve got these opaque blocks of red and white scattered throughout, and the way she’s laid down each stroke feels direct. It’s like she’s inviting you to observe her process. Look at the way the white and red curve, and the stripe detail that Ekster has used. Ekster must have been influenced by Cezanne, or maybe even Braque. But she brings a unique energy to this painting. She's not trying to give us a fixed image; instead, she's inviting us to explore all the possibilities of how we see.