Crucifixion 1965

Abdul Mati Klarwein created this triptych, Crucifixion, with paint; I’m not sure when. The colours are rich, almost psychedelic, and it looks like he built the image up slowly, each brushstroke layered on the last. It’s like the painting grew organically, each part influencing the next. Looking at this piece, the first thing that strikes me is its density. The surface shimmers with gold leaf, but within that, the central image is like a teeming ecosystem. Tiny figures writhe amidst a complex tangle of branches, faces, and cosmic symbols. There's a section, just to the left of the central panel, where a figure seems to be emerging from a waterfall. It’s as if Klarwein is suggesting the constant flux of life, where transformation is the only constant. Klarwein reminds me a little of Hieronymus Bosch, another artist who wasn't afraid to pack his paintings full of fantastical imagery. Both artists seem to revel in ambiguity, suggesting that the world is far stranger and more complex than we can ever fully grasp.