Bluxao V 1955

Willi Baumeister made this painting, Bluxao V, in Germany, and it's now in the Kunsthalle in Hamburg. Look at how he lays down the colors – reds, yellows, and blacks all floating in this hazy blue ground, it's as if the process is right there on the surface. There’s something really beautiful about the material quality of this piece. The paint looks pretty thin, almost like watercolor in places, and then opaque in others. See that big, black, swirly shape in the middle? It’s like a maze or a glyph, a sort of primal symbol. It’s not just a shape; it’s a journey, a thought process made visible. It's surrounded by these energetic dashes and floating forms. They create a real sense of movement and dynamism. Baumeister's work reminds me a bit of Joan Miró; that playful, almost childlike approach to abstraction. It feels like art is an ongoing conversation between artists, a constant exchange of ideas.