Untitled (Figure and Circle Segment) 1925

Willi Baumeister created this untitled print using lithography, a process allowing for sharp lines and flat planes of color. Immediately striking is the composition's arrangement of geometric forms; rectangles, circles and segments converge to evoke a figure, yet remain resolutely abstract. Baumeister’s interest in the relationship between form and representation is clear, and its semiotic structure, where shapes function as signs, invites interpretation. The interplay between the implied figure and the abstract shapes creates a visual tension. It destabilizes the viewer's perception, challenging fixed meanings and expectations. Consider the subtle shadows created by the lithographic process. These add depth, complicating the flat picture plane, and echoing the broader artistic concerns of the era in exploring the boundaries between representation and abstraction. This print, in its formal elegance, embodies a philosophy of art that continually questions its own making and meaning.