The Maglizh monastery 1924

Ivan Milev made "The Maglizh Monastery" with paint in 1925. Look at the way he builds up the image, how he uses these blocks of color – it’s like he's fitting together puzzle pieces. I love the way he handles paint, it seems quite flatly applied in uniform strokes to construct a composition reminiscent of a postcard. The texture of the paint isn’t trying to trick you into thinking it’s real, you can tell it’s paint, and that’s ok. See the white wall of the monastery, and how it curves into the landscape? Milev emphasizes the physicality of the surface. It’s more about the act of painting than trying to capture an image. This reminds me of some of Milton Avery's landscapes, where the scenes are reduced to simple, almost abstract shapes. Both artists find a way to make us see the world anew, not as it is, but as a collection of colors and forms. It’s a good reminder that art is always a conversation, and there's never just one right way to see things.