Mondrian’s Landscape With Ditch
I was not aware that Mondrian painted pieces other than the colored squares for which he is famous. His landscapes are serene, flowing and quite beautiful.
As I watched a movie cataloging his works, I began to wonder if he went mad later in life. Not that I dislike his geometric pieces. It’s more the fact that he seemed to be obsessed with perfecting the mathematical designs. He created countless variations on the same theme. I understand that he was attempting to simplify art to its “truest” form, paring the elements down to the essentials.
He believed that a line is infinite and complete, unlike positive and negative shapes which are finite and disjointed. He was a solitary man, expressing this isolation in his art: a single flower, one individual and landscapes focused on a particular point.
Mondrian stated that “Intense involvement with living things is involvement with death. Let us recognise the fact once and for all: the natural appearance, natural form, natural colour, natural rhythm, natural relations most often express the tragic . . . We must free ourselves from our attachment to the external, for only then do we transcend the tragic, and are enabled consciously to contemplate the repose which is within all things.”
Perhaps he felt that he was protecting himself from “tragedy” by painting geometric shapes and applying color safely within their boundaries. I must say I find the compositions interesting, but I far prefer the quiet landscapes. I guess there is something for everyone in the art of Mondrian.
Sue
on September 5th, 2007 at 10:33 am
I think your insight to Mondrain “protecting himself from “tragedy” by painting geometric shapes and applying color safely within it’s boundaries” is more than likely right on! Some people don’t want to sacrifice themselves by coloring outside the lines so to speak.
I enjoy all different types of art as they all have a different meaning to me and I can enjoy each piece in a different perspective.
Hopefully you will consider this a compliment but, this particular painting reminds me of one of yours - the one of the old bridge in Arkansas.
on March 2nd, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Thanks for the insightful comments on Mondrian -
he was the inspiration for the layout of my home page for electromagnet.us
My thought was “What artist would be most suited for designing a website?
Mondrian. I quickly learned about his early still life works, and there subtle nuance that stand in stark contrast to the mathematical contructs that are seen today - on the web and elsewhere. I hadn’t seen his landscapes before. This one is gourgeous. As insightful and sensitive as Monet, who I love.
Thanks for the reproduction!
- David