Science against Obscurantism 1920

Giacomo Balla made 'Science Against Obscurantism', with some kind of paint, but I’m not sure when. Look at the way he builds the form with dynamic marks and a glowing, almost fluorescent palette. It's like he's thinking out loud on the canvas, each stroke a new idea in the making. The textures here are so intriguing. There’s this interplay between the smooth, gradient-like quality of the background and the sharp, almost neon-like lines that cut through the darkness. The way he uses the paint feels almost sculptural, like he's building this futuristic world with pure light and movement. Check out the upper right of the image: the yellow and orange shapes are outlined in white and feel as though they are vibrating on the canvas. It’s such a small detail, but it brings the whole thing to life! Balla's work reminds me a little of Hilma af Klint's, in the way it tries to visualize the unseen, to capture energy and ideas in abstract form. Like Klint, Balla really shows us that art is a continuous conversation. It's about asking questions and not always having the answers, and letting the process guide us.