Contains bibliographical references "Although they never met, af Klint and Mondrian both invented their own languages of abstract art rooted in nature. At the heart of both of their artistic journeys was a shared desire to understand the forces behind life on earth."--Publisher's website (viewed on May 10, 2023) Catalog of an exhibition held at Tate Modern, London, from April 20 - September 3, 2023, and at Kunstmuseum Den Haag from October 7, 2023 - February 25, 2024.
Summary:
For the first time, the complex, symbiotic ecologies that sustained the practices of two of the twentieth-century's greatest painters are revealed. Although they never met, Hilma af Klint and Piet Mondrian shared a deep dynamic connection to the natural world and began their careers as landscape painters. For them, science and mysticism were not exclusive practices, but part of the same essential framework for understanding the life forces around them. Both artists engaged with science and esoteric thought as tools for exploring the underlying structures of nature and how they give meaning to art and life. Natural forms are abstracted to their atomic levels; cells evolve, dividing and expanding the canvas in colour; sinuous stems spiral into the ether whilst the crystalline formations of grids stretch out to form an infinite universe. Including works never before seen in the UK, this publication will elucidate and invigorate our understanding of two ground-breaking artists and will be sure to get synapses firing.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.