Collage 1940

This collage was made in 1940 by Ad Reinhardt, and looking at it I’m thinking about process. Reinhardt is best known for his black paintings, but here, he’s working with fragments, pulling apart images and reassembling them. It’s like he’s taking apart the world, or maybe the history of art, and putting it back together in his own way. Up close, you can see the textures of the paper, the way the edges are cut, and the slight overlaps where the pieces meet. There’s a physicality to it that I really appreciate. Then there’s the colors – muted, earthy tones mixed with pops of blue and red. It’s a really interesting palette. Look at the bottom, the way he has assembled a kind of frame with slightly larger pieces of card. Reinhardt's collage reminds me of Kurt Schwitters, another artist who used found materials to create abstract compositions. But where Schwitters’ collages feel chaotic and energetic, Reinhardt’s feels more controlled, more deliberate. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about answers, it’s about questions, about exploring the possibilities of form and color and material.