Tori 1938

Willi Baumeister made "Tori" with paint, and what strikes me is how he’s clearly interested in the act of making itself. There’s this sense of play, an openness to chance that feels really contemporary, even though he wasn't. You can really see the hand of the artist here. Look at how the simple color palette—reds, browns, blacks and whites—are laid down in these floating shapes. I wonder what kind of brushes he used? There's an earthy physicality. Those forms almost feel like they've been lifted from nature, like worn pebbles, or maybe even some kind of primitive writing. Note how the single white line cuts across the center, dividing the picture plane and creating an area of dynamic tension. I see a connection with Joan Miró, especially in the playful construction of floating shapes. These artists remind us that art doesn’t always have to be so serious. It can be intuitive, even a little bit absurd.