Composition (A Raid) 1931

Pavel Filonov made this painting called ‘Composition (A Raid)’ with oil on canvas sometime in the first half of the 20th century. The whole surface is activated and there is no clear focal point. It's all process, and it's all happening at once. Looking closely, the paint application is so intricate and detailed, built up through tiny strokes, like he’s making a mosaic. There’s a real tension between the macro and the micro here. Up close it’s this field of abstract marks, but as you move back, figures emerge, packed tightly. It’s kind of disturbing; a mass of faces rendered in earthy tones, from pale yellows to murky browns, with just a touch of blue. Consider the face in the lower right corner, the one with the piercing gaze. Its eyes seem to follow you, implicating you in this chaotic scene. It reminds me a bit of Otto Dix, maybe because of the shared interest in portraying the harsh realities of human existence. But ultimately, Filonov's vision is unique, pushing us to question what we see and how we see it.