Abstract Trio 1923

Paul Klee made this strange wee drawing, Abstract Trio, with ink and watercolor, and it’s like he’s right there in front of us, doodling. The background wash is this ochre-y yellow that bleeds into the surrounding green; it’s so thin and washy you can almost see the paper underneath. And then, there are these linear figures drawn with what looks like a very fine nib. Look at the left-most figure, this dancing tendril of a line. The ink pools in some places and thins out in others, which tells you something about the speed, the pressure of his hand, the consistency of the ink itself. Klee makes me think of Miró – this playfulness, this invitation to the subconscious. It’s a conversation across time. Art isn’t about fixed meanings; it’s a space for imagination and an ongoing conversation.