Untitled 1939

This untitled collage by Karel Teige is made from cut paper on board; it’s a playful and curious arrangement. I love collage, because it's like a form of thinking, a way of putting disparate things together to see what happens. Look at how Teige combines anatomical drawings with classical sculpture and advertising imagery on top of what looks like a geographical map. Each element is carefully chosen and placed, creating a new kind of reality. The cut-out figures have a tactile quality, with their edges and varied textures, contrasting with the printed surface beneath. It reminds me a little bit of Hannah Höch. But where her collages are politically charged, this has a lighter, more surreal feel. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art is always in conversation with itself, pulling from the past while pushing toward something new and unexpected.