Linienrhythmus 1919

Johannes Itten made this print, called Linienrhythmus, with ink on paper. Just look at the dizzying dance of marks! Itten's focus on process is so clear here. It's all about gesture, a kind of choreography between the hand and the material. The way the ink pools and spreads, the varied pressure of each stroke – it tells a story of how the piece came to be. I find myself drawn to the lower left corner where the spirals seem to almost press up against each other, creating a sense of tension and release. It's a microcosm of the whole composition, where the push and pull between order and chaos keeps your eye moving. Thinking about Itten's exploration of color theory, which is evident in his wider work, this piece reminds me of the later work of Bridget Riley, in the way that she builds up complex, rhythmic patterns from simple, repeated forms. Art is always a conversation, isn't it? A back-and-forth across time, where artists riff off each other's ideas, pushing boundaries, and asking new questions.