Sportsmen 1931

Kazimir Malevich made this painting of figures, called Sportsmen, and you know, it feels like an experiment in colour, line, and form all at once. The simple shapes are painted in such a way as to allow the artist to explore the material qualities of paint. There is something about the flatness of these figures that I find compelling; it's as if they have been built from paper. See how the colours of their clothes are divided vertically, like opposing flags, and even their skin is split between tone and shade. Look at that first figure on the left, how the texture of the black paint contrasts with the flatness of the red. This division of the figures opens up the possibility for a new way of seeing. Take note of Italian metaphysical painters like Giorgio de Chirico, who had a similar interest in how such paintings can feel like dreamscapes. This is an aesthetic that understands the power of abstraction and its potential for poetry.