Composition 1920

Janos Mattis-Teutsch made this painting, simply titled "Composition", with oil paint. The painting is a tightly packed arrangement of curvilinear forms, intertwined with bold colors. Notice how the artist has applied the paint with expressive brushwork, layering shades of red, yellow, pink, and black to create a sense of depth and movement. The forms seem to pulse, reflecting the artist's interest in spiritual and emotional expression. Mattis-Teutsch trained as a wood carver before he turned to painting. His early engagement with craft is evident in the tactile quality of his paintings, where each brushstroke is imbued with a sense of making. This piece challenges the notion of "fine art" as somehow divorced from the labor and materiality of creation. The artist emphasizes the importance of process and material in understanding the full meaning of the artwork.