Relief Painting 1922

Erich Buchholz made this Relief Painting at an undetermined date, but it sits like an intriguing puzzle with its basic geometric forms. He really wasn’t messing around trying to copy reality here. The colours are pretty simple, ochre, red and black, but the textures have a handmade feel. The circle has a golden glow, almost like it has been worked, scratched, and buffed with something. The red squares pop out and look like the might be made from wood. I want to touch it! There’s something about the sparseness of this painting which reminds me of early work by Mondrian. I feel like the piece embraces some ambiguity, it gives the feeling that it is an ancient artefact or symbol. But, who really knows what it all means? The conversation between painting and art goes on, with no final word in sight.