Composition 1920 1920

Olexandr Archipenko made this painting in 1920, most likely in oil or gouache on paper. It’s a playful composition, with geometric shapes rendered in muted tones, like a puzzle or deconstructed figure. I can imagine Archipenko carefully layering the colors, shifting and adjusting forms as he went. What was he thinking as he built up this image, this stack of shapes and shades? There’s a real push-pull happening here. Is it a body? Is it architecture? The black lines curve suggestively around a vertical blue form – a torso? – contrasting with the angularity of the other elements. You know, it reminds me a little of Picasso and Braque, but with a softer touch. The way he uses color and form to suggest depth and volume is fascinating. It's a conversation that painters have been having for centuries, each one building on the ideas of those who came before. It makes me want to run to my studio and start pushing paint around, exploring the possibilities.