I have always associated science, particularly the laws of physics, as being a quantifiable element, whereas the abstraction in art seemed like a free-flowing visual representation of the physical world. I was proven wrong when I saw the film on Paul Klee and how his art style was influenced heavily by the laws of physics. The use of science in art as well as the science of art was one of the most striking aspects of modernist art with my first clear glance into it.
I observed something similar in Paul Klee's usage of music in his expression of art. Although art and music, both abstract, free-flowing forms of expression, it is effortless to separate the two because of their mediums and their receptions. One blatant difference would be that one is for visual pleasure, whereas the other is for auditory pleasure. Yet, just like science, Paul Klee combines an unlikely element such as music to his art to give it its form.
What is not unlikely is for artists to rely on their personal backgrounds as the muses for their art. While it may be their culture or mindset for some, for Paul Klee, it was his musical background. It's quite fascinating to see the notes that, on the one hand, he can make music with being incorporated into another medium of art. Although without any preamble, the inclusion of science in his work does not seem to be an uncommon experimentation.
While there was some abstraction to his art (the kind of abstraction that aligns with what I understand of it), his first 'deviation' towards any form of structure was when he assimilated the law of contrasts and mastered chiaroscuro. This was my first glimpse into the science of modern art- the scientific principles used in art.
Paul Klee manipulates light as a deployment of energy through the layering of black paint. The watercolours were used to explore tonality and light and dark contrasts and alter the painting altogether. By bringing in the science of art into his work, Klee manages to create a unique style of his own that became a remarkable characteristic of modern art.
What's beautiful in Klee's delving into incorporating abstraction of music into his art was the similar elements that we can notice in both painting and music- superimposition, rhythm, equilibrium, and harmony. He would, therefore, play the violin before painting to reflect the melody through his piece. Abstract works, inspired by music with the layering of watercolours and interwoven forms and colours, superimposes themes. Simultaneously, resonances and intervals appear as time is made the central element in his work.
When Paul Klee explored the laws of physics to apply to his art, I got my first glimpse into the science in modern art- the aspects of art hidden in science. It is a given that with physics, there are a particular set of rules that have to be observed as well as contradicted, especially when it comes to the abstraction of art. He studied the laws of physics and then transposed them into his paintings with a particular fascination towards equilibrium. Even behind his process of constructing these compositions, Klee sets a technique. The constant inclusion of these technical and structural elements, regardless of the freedom that comes with abstraction, helps us see the depth of science in art. We also get to recognize the underlying forces and the prehistory of the 'visible.'
This brings me back to something mentioned at the beginning of the film- "What we see is only the appearance. Art does not reproduce the visible, it makes visible." I connect this line to Paul Klee's method of making 'visible' all the scientific principles that we know exist but fail to notice in the different aspects of the physical world- in this case, art. I also interpret it as him making visible the method and process of his work- complete transparency, which is characteristic of the modernist movement, as we observed in modernist architecture. Modernism continues to show its fascinating evolution within art as well as across the different mediums.
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