Work

Harmonized Region, 1938, Oil on burlap on cardboard

I have long been fascinated by Klee’s vivid, humorous paintings. But I found this piece very distinctive among his works as I browsed through the gallery online. Monochromatic, and seemingly abstract. And as I dug further into this artwork and Klee himself, I found this piece of work even more intriguing.

Context and proposition: The work was composed in 1938. It was the year right after Klee’s paintings were labeled as “Degenerate Art” by Nazi regime and prohibited because they were considered “un-German, Jewish, Communist in nature”. To me, the title, Harmonized Region, not "Harmonious Region", implies Klee’s rebellion against the idea that art should be disciplined and “traditional”.

Composition and my response: The work is abstract at first sight – random monochromatic patches, but at the same time, it is concrete in a physical sense – a piece of burlap attached to a cardboard; The textures and shapes of these patches are never identical (the two patches in the center are especially different), however, these differences are wiped out by a uniform color of grey. These contrasts convey a sense of awkwardness, uncomfortableness, and in this particular context, disobedience to me. It is reticent but angry and I can somehow imagine the dynamic, vivid picture before the burlap was monochromatized.