Fez 1952

Lennart Rodhe made this watercolour, entitled Fez, with crayon in 1962. I’m interested in how an artist like Rodhe puts marks on paper with such freedom and spontaneity. The real subject is always the way something comes into being. The watery pigment floats and bleeds into the paper. Rodhe creates depth with thin layers of colour and tone. Everything feels unfixed. I think of Paul Klee, another artist who shared this interest in simple forms and playful abstraction. Look at how the grey washes create a sense of shadow, while the brighter colors suggest light and detail. It's a balancing act. Take a look at the marks in the lower left, they are tentative and unresolved. They leave the viewer space to wander. Ultimately, it’s these open-ended, unresolved qualities that make the painting so compelling. Art isn't about answers; it’s about possibilities.