Spatial Composition Nr. 6 1931

Katarzyna Kobro made this Spatial Composition Nr. 6 with paint on metal and wood, but when is anyone’s guess. There’s something so elegant about the economy of means, the way she uses primary colours against grayscale tones. It speaks to an understanding of artmaking as a process of distillation. Look at the surface texture. The paint is thin, allowing the materiality of the wood and metal to shine through. The grey ribbon winds through the sculpture so you can see how it catches the light. I like how Kobro lets the physical qualities of the medium come forward; the eye is invited to complete the work. The blue base anchors it all. Kobro was a contemporary of Mondrian, and you can see some shared affinities. But where Mondrian seems very controlled, this has a kind of joyous, anarchic energy to it. It embraces multiple interpretations, allowing viewers to bring their own experiences to the work.