Paul Klee

Back in March 9th – May 22nd of 2006 there was a show at Neue Galerie of Paul Klee’s work.  The show was called Klee and America.  It has been some time since I attended this show, so I can not necessarily speak too much about the concept of the show. The title itself leads towards a general relationship to primitive American art and Paul Klee’s work.  What I remember distinctly is the scale of the work as small and ambitious in terms of color and design.

What makes Paul Klee interesting is the personalization of his art.  Often there are two directions one can go when trying to make something “new”, one being philosophical the other experience based.  Both have merits, yet often work of a philosophical nature tends to create concepts of a broader nature while experience based ideas are often more eclectic and personal.

This particular piece illustrates Klee’s use of angular shape, surface and color to create a specific mood.  Titled “The Destroyed Place”, appropriate technique is used to physically represent a lack luster scene of tilting houses. An analogous palate of cooler necrotic blues and purples creates a feel of death as well as scratches on the surface drift across the picture plane like thin gusts of wind.  Klee furthers this by placing crosses in varying places in the composition to add symbolic representations of depravity.  It is also interesting note the use of white in contrast to its common use as a highlight, leaning more towards a ghast luminosity that feels negative relative to its value.  Using white for its cooler properties against colors that are washy, scraped and inherently cool is a testament to color theory.  Klee developed this process through experimentation with the properties of color and the physical capabilities of his medium.  As a double edged sword however, the eclectic nature of his work creates a rift between the viewer and the painting.  On one side his work is a celebration with humor and verve, on the other the work is less accessible for all of these merits.  Art is a challenge, and those looking to drive deep into the consciousness of that entity have to sacrifice a part of themselves to see anything of value.