Still Life (Composition A) 1921

This is a monochrome print by Albert Gleizes, made with ink on paper. There’s a kind of controlled chaos to the composition, a layering of geometric shapes and linear patterns that create a dynamic tension. I’m imagining Gleizes hovering over the paper, intuitively deciding where each line and shape should go. Was he thinking about the still life tradition, dismantling it? Or perhaps he was more interested in the pure act of composition, creating a visual puzzle for us to solve. I wonder if he started with one shape and then intuitively responded to it, building up the composition bit by bit? What I see is a real dialogue between form and space; it’s not just about what’s there, but also about what isn’t. And the interplay of black and white creates a stark contrast that emphasizes the abstract nature of the work. He's in conversation with Picasso and Braque, but he's also pushing it somewhere new, something all his own.