Variation (Trees) 1919 - 1920

Alexej von Jawlensky created "Variation (Trees)" with oil on cardboard. The painting is like a stage set for abstract actors! Look at the simple shapes, the green form on the left with its three, maybe slightly startled, eyes, or the sort of plum-colored, almost droopy shape on the right. I can imagine Jawlensky dabbing the paint, coaxing the forms into being, maybe stepping back and squinting, trying to get the balance just right. Did he want us to feel a sense of playful unease? It makes me think about his other paintings and the work of other early abstractionists like Kandinsky, where color and form are really pushing the boundaries of what a painting can be. It’s like they're asking, "Can color alone make you feel something? Can a shape tell a story?" Painters are always in conversation, building on each other's experiments. This piece to me is an invitation to see with fresh eyes, to let go of expectations, and to find the emotional resonance in simple forms and colors.