Geranium at Night Window 1932

Karl Knaths made "Geranium at Night Window" in 1952. I wonder what it was like for Knaths, staring at his geraniums in the dark. It feels like he was trying to make something very still. The geraniums look like they’re glowing and reflecting the light from inside the house. The way he’s divided up the space into shapes makes me think about how much is hiding in the dark. And that deep blue, it’s like the color of sleep, deep and mysterious. It’s interesting how Knaths uses shapes to flatten everything. It’s like he’s playing with cubism, but also making something that feels really American and modern. There's a bit of Marsden Hartley or Milton Avery in here, I think. You know, painting is like talking to other painters, across time, and Knaths is definitely part of that conversation.