Ontwerp voor een tapijt met grillige geometrische vormen 1922

Dirk Verstraten made this carpet design with gouache, and you can almost see him figuring it out as he goes, making decisions on the fly. I love the grounded darkness, the way it provides a backdrop to the almost Aztec-like geometries creeping across the surface. It's like the earth is swallowing up this crazy, patterned world. Look how the orange and purple lines interlock, creating these jagged edges that seem to push and pull against each other. You get the feeling this image is the result of a lot of trial and error. This reminds me a bit of Hilma af Klint’s work. Like her, Verstraten seems to be grappling with something beyond the surface, creating a visual language that feels both ancient and futuristic at the same time. It's a reminder that art is often about the questions we ask, not just the answers we find.