Still Life with Instruments 1916

Lyubov Popova made this painting, Still Life with Instruments, out of oil on canvas. The shapes and forms feel so intuitively placed on the canvas, like she's arranging colored paper, or maybe even building blocks. Looking closely, you can see how the textures play against each other. The dark background makes all of the geometric shapes pop, but they are not flat. There's a real sense of depth and weight. Take that red triangle for instance. It is opaque and catches the eye, creating a sort of focal point. The brushwork around the edges has a softer touch to it that contrasts with the very clear bold markmaking of the black rectangle. Popova manages to orchestrate a symphony of visual tensions here. You get the sense that the artist is more focused on the act of painting and arranging rather than the final representation. It reminds me a bit of Malevich, though her take is much more playful. In the end, it's all about the conversation between the artist and the canvas, an open invitation for us to join in.