Phantom with Red Figure 1951

Willi Baumeister made this print called, "Phantom with Red Figure," with lithography, creating flat, colorful shapes that dance together on the page. It's a process of layering, where each color is a separate decision, a step in a visual conversation. The most striking thing is how the dark areas feel so solid, almost like cut-out shapes pasted onto a light blue background. There's a big black form that dominates the composition, but it's softened by the playful shapes around it – the blobby red figure, the jaunty yellow wedge, and the little black doodles down below. Look at the top edge of the black form: there are little protrusions on the top edge, suggesting tiny buildings or figures on the top of a cliff. I'm reminded of Joan Miró or maybe even some of the later work of Philip Guston, artists who weren’t afraid to embrace the cartoonish, the absurd, and the joy of pure form. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about perfect representation, but about opening up a space for thinking and feeling.