Forme ascenzionali (o Forze ascenzionali) 1930

Gerardo Dottori created 'Forme ascenzionali', or 'Ascensional Forms', as a way to capture the sensation of flight through landscape. Look at how the brushstrokes build up to create the illusion of altitude and atmosphere. I can just imagine him, brush in hand, trying to conjure this feeling through the act of painting. The landscape is built up through distinct shapes of blues and greens, creating the impression of form and depth through a geometric array. See how each brushstroke seems to capture a facet of light, contributing to the dynamism of the composition. This painting makes me think of other modernist painters, like Lyonel Feininger, and his prismatic cityscapes, or Lawren Harris and the Group of Seven's renderings of the Canadian landscape. Artists are always in dialogue with one another. Ultimately, painting is an embodied expression – it opens up a space of imagination, allowing for multiple readings and meanings.