It's a Klee day today

I can only find one word to describe the overal effect that Paul Klee's paintings have on me - they delight me.  Of course, some of the later works created when the threat from Nazi Germany was rising, and when Klee, himself, realised that his own death was approaching, are more menacing or sombre, but on the whole, 'delight' is the best word to encapsulate my immediate response on seeing almost any of his works.

They tend to hover, and tease, in the no-man's-land between reality and abstraction.  Many of them arose as a result of Klee experimenting with differing balances of colour, form and weight.  This picture, entitled Ancient Sound, is a typical example.  The darker tones surround the lighter, brighter colours which almost seem to be bubbling upwards and outwards from the surface, rather like a

primitive life-form evolving from the primordial mud.  Or, as someone once described it, rather like looking into the semi-closed dark leaves surrounding the bright petals of a gorgeous flower about to unfold.  These naturalistic explanations of the painting arise, of course, because Klee deliberately makes the 'squares' ungeometrical, almost freehand.  But you don't have to think about all of that, instead, just look at it, as I once did, some 55-odd years ago - and simply be delighted!

I tracked back an unknown visitor to my blog which led me to a huge and marvellous collection of j-peg illustrations of Klee's works.  I will share these with you from time to time - when I feel you need cheering up!  Here's another:

Red Balloon, 1922.

Again, gorgeous colouring, and you can almost feel him struggling to get the balance of shapes, colours and line into balance.  Notice the little touches of blue here and there - they are not where they are by accident but by design, to contrast and give relief from the red, and also to balance the composition.  Don't worry about meaning, just think of it as an experiment in red.

Comments

[JK]

Ahh finally I can help. DD, the artist has a collaborator previously unknown it would appear to the English. Of course she doesn't know a paintbrush from a whiskbroom but that's not her talent. Oh no! As her lawyer explains it, she just empties her stomach. And wouldn't you know, the artiste takes all the credit.

http://www.baxterbulletin.com/article/20100825/UPDATES01/100825006/Odd+News++Pa.+woman+blames+gin-soaked+raisins+for+violation+

[David Duff]

Thanks, 'JK', as art criticism goes, that was unique!

[Danivon]

I may disagree with you on many things, Duffers, but I can't fault your appreciation for Paul Klee.

A genius, so he was.

[David Duff]

Happy to agree with you, too, 'Danivon'.