Côte De Provence 7 1927

Paul Klee made this gorgeous watercolour, "Côte De Provence 7", and it’s all about process. The ground is this incredible field of tiny marks, like the world seen through a screen door, and then these lovely shapes are placed on top. Look closely at the brushwork and you can really feel the handmade quality of the piece; the watery washes, the dry brushstrokes. The geometric shapes overlaid with the grid of tiny marks creates depth and texture, like a map of a dream. The different coloured bars of different thicknesses inside the sails are a good example of how he uses different marks to build up a complex overall surface. Klee’s work always reminds me a bit of Joan Miró, in that it suggests a world of playful abstraction, somewhere between representation and pure invention. It’s a reminder that art isn’t just about answers, it’s about possibilities.