Paul Klee and Magic Squares: Abstraction and the Visualization of Invisible Forces in Modern Art
Overview
This paper examines Paul Klee's Magic Squares series and his artistic philosophy regarding abstraction and visualization. It explores how Klee's 1914 visit to Tunisia inspired his shift toward abstraction and analyzes his statement that art makes visible rather than reproduces the visible, using the metaphor of a tree to explain the creative process and its impact.
What this essay covers
- Introduction to Paul Klee as a Swiss-German painter and his contributions to art
- Analysis of the Magic Squares series and the influence of Tunisia on Klee's adoption of abstraction
- Examination of Klee's artistic philosophy and the tree metaphor for understanding the creative process and artistic influence
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Paul Klee and Magic Squares
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Paul Klee and Magic Squares
Paul Klee was a Swiss-born painter and a German by nationality who contributed to the field of Art based on his works. Art as a discipline is a very diverse field including drawings and paintings by artists. A renowned work by Klee is the painting of the “Magic Squares”. Magic Square series was inspired after Paul Klee visited Tunisia in 1914 after which Klee adopted the power of abstraction. Abstraction is an aspect in the field of Art whereby ideas are given more priority as compared to events. During early times historically, artists used to represent in their paintings visible things on earth that they had previously encountered. Additionally, artists could also represent what they would have liked to see and transform such into either drawings or paintings. Currently, however, the reality behind visible things is expressed therefore showing there exist other latent realities. The visible world is seen as being isolated in relation to the universe.
Based on the above-presented arguments, they support Paul Klee’s statement that "Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible." Klee gave his description of the creative process by suggesting the image of a tree as a metaphor. Klee meant that when an artist crafts a work, the work will have an effect around them. Interpreting this statement is that an artist's senses are like a trunk of a tree absorbing nutrients from the environment.