Today I wanted to let you know of a ‘not-to-miss’ exhibition in London. It’s by the Swedish painter Hilma af Klint & Dutch painter Piet Mondrian at the Tate Modern on the South Bank in London. It’s on until 3 September so there’s still plenty of time to see it.
Both painters invented their own and at the time (now over 100 years ago!) new language of abstract art rooted in nature. What fascinated me most was that these two artists worked in different countries at the same time without knowing each other, and yet, their work represents a shared desire to understand the forces behind life on earth.
Af Klint studied botanical forms and expressed these as abstract geometrical compositions in vibrant colours. Mondrian has been well known for his grid like structures. I’ve been a fan of Mondrian for years and have developed a Mondrian jewellery collection in the past. That collection was inspired by his abstract work of reducing paintings to its basic principles and removing individual aspects. Little did I know that he started his career by painting flowers and landscapes. These drawings really spoke to me during the exhibition. What fascinated me most was the way he almost deconstructed a tree and reduced images of it to its essential forms.
I’ve been playing with his leaf like forms, a lot, recently, and hope to share the beginnings of a new collection soon. In the meantime, go and see this fantastic exhibition, if you can.
