Composition Kolvil 1960

Carl Buchheister made this oil painting, Composition Kolvil, at an unknown date. Buchheister's work sits within a tradition of German art that sought to find new forms of expression beyond the conventional academy. The fractured imagery and muted tones speak to the anxieties of the interwar period in Germany, as artists searched for ways to represent the complexities of modern experience. Buchheister was associated with the avant-garde movements of the time, including Dada and Constructivism. These movements were committed to social change through artistic innovation. His engagement with abstraction can be seen as a rejection of traditional, representational art forms associated with the established order. By delving into archives, letters, and publications from the period, we can uncover the rich context that shaped Buchheister's artistic vision. It is through this contextual understanding that the painting's full meaning and significance can be revealed.