Group I, No. 7, Primordial Chaos 1906 - 1907

Editor: We are looking at "Group I, No. 7, Primordial Chaos," an oil painting from 1906-1907 by Hilma af Klint. It's... strange, almost diagrammatic with a mystical edge to it. What strikes you first about this painting? Curator: It's fascinating to consider af Klint's process. Her move from botanical illustration toward this symbolic, abstract language is tied to her spiritual practice and the labor of automatic writing and drawing. Did that process of 'channeled' production influence her choices of materials? Editor: You mean how her spiritual beliefs affected the material act of painting? That's an interesting point! I guess I had assumed it was just about the images, not how the painting came to be. Curator: Exactly. Look at the materiality – the fluidity of the oil paint juxtaposed against the geometric shapes. The 'automatic' nature of creation clashes directly with controlled forms. What relationship, if any, do you suppose af Klint saw between those acts? Editor: I hadn’t really considered how those acts can conflict or support each other! So you see this painting not just as an abstract image but as an end-product born of material, labor, and process, not unlike… craft? Curator: Precisely. We have a flattening of traditionally opposed hierarchies: Fine art and craft are combined through a specific material means for a certain spiritual practice. This piece is not just a window onto the spiritual, but a document of the labor and materials involved in making that 'vision' manifest. What do you make of it now? Editor: Now I'm struck by how active this painting really is. It’s not just about some other, invisible realm. It shows an artist at work with her paints and the beliefs driving every brushstroke. Thank you, I now see new aspects! Curator: My pleasure. I hope the way she thought of those beliefs while using and combining material has influenced you!