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Label Text:
Popova was a master of creating illusionary spaces with lines and colors on a two-dimensional surface. This work is from a 1921 series of paintings and drawings featuring complex geometrical and spatial constructions with strong use of linear elements. The artist called these works “experiments with painterly force structures” and titled some of them “Spatial Force Construction.”

The straight lines and the white and dark shadows (or light reflections?) create a dynamic sphere beyond the traditional Euclidian three-dimensional space. Popova leaves a lot of surface unpainted to make use of the paper’s natural texture, which adds to the effect of the composition. Artists of the avant-garde much valued the textures of painted and other surfaces and integrated them in substantial ways into their works.
BJ, 2014

Tags:
abstract

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=AC+2001.52

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