Reaper 1932

Kazimir Malevich made this oil painting, "Reaper," where the brushstrokes feel grounded, like the work itself is emerging from the earth. Look at the thick, tactile quality of the paint, the way the colors are built up in layers. The red hands and feet give the figure an almost otherworldly presence. There is something very physical about the way Malevich applied the paint. The brushstrokes are visible and direct. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the canvas, building up the image stroke by stroke. I am drawn to the blue in her hair, which has the effect of an area of concentrated calm within the piece. It suggests a feeling of inner strength and reflection that contrasts with the red of her hands and feet. There's a connection to be made between this work and that of Marsden Hartley, who similarly found ways to celebrate the inherent qualities of paint and its ability to convey deep emotion. Neither artist is interested in photographic likeness; rather, they embraced ambiguity as a central form of expression.