Det syke øyet. Optiske illusjoner 1930

Edvard Munch created this watercolor painting, called ‘The Sick Eye. Optical Illusions,’ with circular forms and diluted washes. I can imagine Munch in the studio, experimenting with the push and pull of color and form, almost like he’s exploring ways of seeing, or ways that our vision can be troubled. Look at how the blues bleed into pinks, and the browns melt into the page. There’s something really raw and immediate about it, like he’s trying to capture a fleeting feeling or sensation. I love the way he embraces the watery quality of the medium. You can see the drips and runs, like he’s letting the paint do its thing. And those circular shapes, they’re not perfect, they’re kind of wonky and off-kilter, which makes them feel so much more human. Munch wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable in his work. He shows us how painting can be a form of embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty.