Naturstudie LII 1924

Karl Wiener made this "Nature Study" sometime between 1901 and 1949, we don’t know exactly when or with what but it looks like coloured pencils. Notice the way the strokes of the pencil build up into areas of colour; it’s like he’s constructing the world bit by bit. The sky has this rough texture, and the clouds are soft and smudgy, like a memory. The land looks like a jagged line of dark, mysterious hills. It's interesting how Wiener captures something so expansive with something so simple. I am thinking about the way the sky is almost vibrating with colour - like he’s trying to capture the light, the movement, the feeling of being in nature. There’s something very immediate about the work, something that makes you feel like you’re standing right there with him, looking at that sky. It reminds me of Agnes Martin’s subtle colour gradations, the way she could make a whole world out of just a few lines.