Untitled (Geometric Abstraction) 1950

Emil Bisttram made this untitled geometric abstraction using monochromatic media on paper. The first thing that grabs me is how Bisttram coaxes so much depth out of a limited palette, a range of grays achieved through hatching and cross-hatching. The process becomes a form of exploration. Look at the bottom left, at the gradation of tone he achieves with the graphite, each line considered, building into a weighty, sculptural form. I see echoes of Cubism, maybe a dash of Surrealism. A bird in flight, a figure dancing? The beauty of abstraction is how it invites projection. It's this balance of control and chance, rigidity and movement. And just as those lines and planes find their place, so does the viewer, drawn into the rhythm and the mystery. You might see something of Kupka in this work, though Bisttram’s mark-making feels more grounded, more about the hand, than some of the more purely abstract, spiritual types. What is certain is that this piece celebrates the unending dialogue between artists.