Mask 4 1936

Willi Baumeister made 'Mask 4' in the early to mid twentieth century, probably with oils. This painting is all about how shapes and colors bump into each other, kind of like how thoughts do in your head when you're trying to figure something out. The way Baumeister layered the paint makes you think about how things are built up over time, layer by layer. He wasn't trying to hide anything, you can see how each color sits next to the other. Take that red shape, for example. It's not just red; it's got edges that are almost fuzzy, like it's breathing into the colors around it. It reminds me a bit of Joan Miró, in the way he plays with simple forms to suggest something deeper. But while Miró's work feels like a playful dream, Baumeister's has this grounded, earthy quality. He's showing us that art doesn't have to be about perfection; it's about the messy, beautiful process of making and seeing.