Mondrian’s Window is a multi-layered, multi-media painting that draws upon the work of several seminal artists. The piece begins with an abstracted black lattice that pays homage to the renowned work of Piet Mondrian. However, the traditional sense of order and structure is disrupted, and instead, we are presented with a fractured, fragmented version of the original.
Through this lattice, we catch glimpses of colour fields reminiscent of Mark Rothko’s work. Yet, these fields are now reduced to stained glass panes that suggest occluded portals to other realms. This juxtaposition of fractured panes with the color fields hints at the uncertainty and unpredictability that lies beyond our field of vision.
Adding to this sense of the unknown are the flattened orbs of yellow that have been ‘dropped in’ throughout the piece. These suns, referencing Vincent Van Gogh’s exalted visions of cornfields and small rooms, add a layer of complexity and richness to the painting.
Embedded throughout the piece are fragments of text, scattered and partly buried in layers of color density. These text fragments are reminiscent of the epigrams and unfinished lines of poems never sent, adding to the sense of mystery and ambiguity that pervades the piece.
The multi-layered work consists of a range of materials and techniques, including chalk pastels fixed with a medium, acrylic colour overlays, and embedded text fragments. The piece is then overlaid with a pouring medium and a black “grid” created using a “hard line” technique, before being finished with a coating of matte varnish.
Through the use of these materials and techniques, Mondrian’s Window presents a rich and multi-faceted exploration of the interplay between order and chaos, structure and fragmentation, and the known and the unknown, drawing upon the works of Mark Rothko, Piet Mondrian, and Vincent Van Gogh to create a complex and thought-provoking piece of art.