Suprematism 1915

Kazimir Malevich made this painting, Suprematism, with oil on canvas, and though we don’t know the exact date, it sits firmly in his journey towards pure abstraction. The composition feels accidental, almost playful, but I imagine it was carefully considered; a balancing act. The texture in this work is fascinating. The black shapes aren’t flat at all, but are riddled with tiny, delicate cracks, like dried earth. It’s as if the paint is trying to escape the confines of the shapes. Then, there’s that single yellow circle. It feels like a sun, or maybe a moon, amidst a night sky of fractured forms. The imperfection is so evocative. I see echoes of Hilma af Klint in this piece, another artist who was exploring abstraction around the same time, both trying to reach something beyond the visible world. Ultimately, art is about the questions it raises, not the answers it provides. And this painting? It's full of questions.