Variation: Field of Tulips 1916

This is Alexej von Jawlensky's 'Variation: Field of Tulips', made with oil on board. Imagine the artist outside, in a field, trying to capture a sense of vibrancy. I can see all those brushstrokes of different colours and directions. I love the lavender and lilac, the pinks and blues, and the occasional dab of yellow - all those contrasting hues bring life to the piece. And it’s all set off against a hazy background of grey. He must have stood there and moved the paint around, swishing the brush, and adjusting the hues in response to the scene, but also to his feelings. Painting is a conversation, a process of call and response. Like so many of his contemporaries, Jawlensky was seeking new ways of representing the world, moving away from realistic depictions, and embracing abstraction as a means of expressing inner states. Artists are always in dialogue, picking up on each other’s cues, responding, and taking the conversation in new directions. Painting becomes this ongoing back-and-forth, across time, inspiring a constant flow of creativity.