Untitled 1940

György Kepes made this lovely artwork with I would guess photography and collage in the 20th century. The stark contrast between the black background and white markings immediately grabs you, right? It’s almost like looking at a cosmic map or something drawn in light. I can see the texture in those white shapes; they’re not flat, but have this kind of gloopy quality, as if they were built up in layers. And then, those thin white lines slicing across everything like constellations plotted on a dark sky. Take a look at that blobby, figure-like shape on the left. It seems to teeter precariously, like it might fall apart any second. That contrast between the solid black and drippy white makes me think of Joan Miró, with his playful, biomorphic shapes. It’s the kind of thing that keeps you guessing, and maybe that’s the point. Art doesn’t always have to make sense, you know? Sometimes, it’s just about the pleasure of looking.