Systematic Study 1936

Here’s a pattern made up of flat, angular, stylized figures in shades of golden orange, chalky blue and white by M.C. Escher. Just imagine Escher at work on this, carefully mapping out the pattern, in what must have been an incredibly systematic approach. It’s easy to focus on the mathematical aspect of the image, but I like to think about his hand, precisely drawing and painting, one form leading to the next, tessellating until they fill the surface. Escher’s figures don’t have roundness or volume, but exist more like shapes or cutouts. The repeated image forms a tight bond, creating a whole. The way the orange figures lock into the blue and white ones makes me think about Matisse’s cut-outs. These artists are so different, but are in a conversation across time, inspiring each other’s creativity.