Garden gate K 1932

This is Paul Klee's "Garden gate K", and it is made with oil on gauze. Look closely; you can almost feel the weave of the fabric. There's something so disarming about the directness of Klee's marks. He wasn't trying to trick you into seeing something that wasn't there; instead, he was making something out of almost nothing, like a child's drawing but with the sophistication of someone who had seen, and felt, a lot. Take the little red birds perched on branches. They seem more like afterthoughts, daubs of color that suddenly became birds. This approach is similar to Joan Miró, who also used simple forms and playful compositions to unlock the subconscious and celebrate the pure joy of creation. Both artists remind us that art doesn't always have to be serious or complicated, it can be a form of visual poetry that unfolds with each viewing.