Suprematism 1917

Kazimir Malevich made this painting, Suprematism, with oil on canvas. Look how the geometric shapes float against the pale background, each edge distinct but somehow soft, like cut paper. It’s this tension between precision and looseness that really gets me. The brown rectangle, anchored across the middle, is a perfect example. Its matte surface and slightly uneven edges give it a handmade, almost folksy feel. Then there's the black teardrop. It adds a curve amongst all the straight lines, like a splash of ink that landed just so. Malevich isn’t trying to trick you into seeing anything, but he is trying to get you to see. He reminds me of Mondrian, but where Mondrian feels so ordered and rational, Malevich feels like pure emotion. It’s like he’s saying, "Here’s the world stripped bare, now feel it."