The Running Man 1933

Kazimir Malevich made "The Running Man," sometime in the early part of the 20th century using oil on canvas. Look at the way the paint is applied here, the brushstrokes are visible, almost like quick, decisive dashes, especially in the blue background. There is an urgency to the mark making, which really captures the feeling of movement. The figure is formed of simple blocks of color, green for the tunic and white for the trousers. See the way the colors bleed into one another and how the landscape is reduced to bands of color, red, yellow, green, black. The red cross in the background is a striking contrast to the blue, it is almost childlike in its simplicity, but adds a layer of depth. Malevich was deeply interested in exploring pure abstraction, I wonder whether you could compare the flattened perspective and simplified forms to the work of someone like Milton Avery? Overall, the painting leaves you with a sense of perpetual motion, as if the figure is forever caught in the act of running.