Doppelfarben (in the cross 1-2-3-4) 1968

Max Bill made this "Doppelfarben (in the cross 1-2-3-4)" with paint; how the paint is applied and the colours that are chosen become the whole subject. The process itself takes centre stage. Look at how those lines of colour, red, yellow, green, and blue, are laid so carefully. It's like Bill is setting up a little world of pure colour and shape. The white areas are not empty but become active with their own potential. Each line is slightly different, a testament to its making, and how the hand and eye work together. That top left corner, where the green and red meet, has a lovely tension. It reminds me a little of Mondrian, another artist who was obsessed with lines and colours. But Bill brings a sense of playful geometry that feels very much his own, showing us that art is an ongoing conversation. It doesn't have to "mean" anything in particular, but, can still speak volumes.