Ceiling Decoration c. 1940

This ceiling decoration was made by William Kieckhofel sometime during his lifetime, using watercolor and graphite on paper. The way Kieckhofel coaxes a delicate balance of color in this piece makes me think about a process-based approach to art making. The pale earthy pinks and browns which define the architectural structure create a kind of subdued grounding, against which the blues and greens of the ornamentation seem to almost vibrate with life. It’s interesting, the way the color has soaked into the paper in these areas, and how a more solid colour has been built up along the border of the swirling leaf shape. This leaf shape, which also appears to be hanging by a thread, reminds me of similar shapes and motifs which appear in the work of Hilma af Klint. It's as if the artist is reaching for the divine, attempting to make something transcendent out of ordinary materials and forms. Art is like that, an ongoing conversation across time.