Untitled 1938

Curator: What catches my eye is this "Untitled" composition created by Otto Freundlich in 1938. A vibrant piece in acrylic paint! It strikes me as a field viewed from above. Editor: That’s interesting. For me, the most immediate thing is the way Freundlich orchestrates color relationships. The interlocking geometric shapes, almost like puzzle pieces, feel harmonious and energetic at the same time. Curator: Indeed. It’s important to recall the period, just prior to the Second World War. Freundlich, of Jewish descent and deemed a degenerate artist by the Nazis, crafted an abstraction defiant in its optimism and celebration of form. The intersecting shapes symbolize the fragmentation of society while the brighter tones possibly resist it. Editor: I see that, definitely. Consider, too, how the materiality of the acrylic—the very flatness of the applied color—flattens the pictorial space. It's a statement against traditional perspectival systems, creating its own order within a constructed reality. The lack of any discernable subject contributes further. Curator: Absolutely, and we should keep in mind Freundlich's larger artistic vision; he imagined art playing a central role in utopian social renewal. Works like these may have served to model novel forms of perception for this changed society. He actually titled one of his pieces "Composition, the birth of humanity", so it seems he took his work quite seriously! Editor: So true! Each form interacts and balances, influencing others in tone and value— it builds cohesion! Despite it lacking, say, religious iconography it gives me an oddly reverent feeling; it seems to celebrate its parts. Curator: It’s incredibly powerful when viewed through the lens of history. Freundlich ultimately died in the Majdanek concentration camp. Understanding that historical context underscores the defiance imbued into these colorful and geometric forms. Editor: Looking again I see the tension of that dichotomy—the planned structure versus the uneven distribution of light and darkness—which suggests an emotional, almost sublime force. Curator: This work leaves you with much to consider. Hopefully our chat helped shine some light. Editor: Yes. To think this piece leaves clues to imagine and discuss the weight of artistic expression, that is rather fascinating.