Africa I 1942

Willi Baumeister made 'Africa I' with oil on canvas, and you can almost smell the paint, right? It’s like he built up these figures, one shape at a time. What strikes me is how tactile it feels. The colors are earthy, like the painting was dug up from somewhere. There’s a real sense of layering; you can see where the brush has dragged across the surface. Take a look at that grey shape on the left; it's not just a solid block, but has all these little ridges, these almost nervous lines that give it a real sense of depth. Baumeister's work reminds me a bit of Joan Miró, always dancing that line between representation and pure abstraction. He invites you to see something recognizable, and then pulls it away, leaving you with this great feeling of possibility. In the end, what matters is the conversation that starts in your own head.