Abstraction No. 1 1956

Hanns Fiers' "Abstraction No. 1," is a riot of geometric forms rendered in ink and watercolor. The paper support becomes as essential as any of the triangles, rectangles, and other shapes, its surface texture and absorbency guiding the flow of pigment. The artist's approach is direct, without apparent preparatory sketches. We can see this in the way some of the forms bleed and soften at the edges. This almost accidental quality reveals a process led by intuition, a kind of free-form construction. There's no attempt to hide the hand of the maker or the behaviour of the materials. What does this process tell us? It asks us to consider labor and time. Ink and watercolor are relatively immediate mediums, but to achieve this level of dynamic interplay requires a deep understanding of their properties. Ultimately, by foregrounding material and process, Fierst elevates the act of making to the level of high art.