An Art Review For Composition A by S.Kostic

COMPOSITION A by Piet Mondrian

Art Review for a Painting
by Stefan Kostic

Composition A is an abstract painting showing rectangular geometric shapes which seem to construct a grid. Only a few colours are used in this paintings, and those are primary colours: red, yellow and blue and black and white. Those colours are bright and they make a good contrast. The predominant pattern in this artwork makes us aware of an ability to connect simplicity and beauty. Although patterns are asymetric they form a good looking painting. Textures are smooth and shiny. It is also interesting that brightness of colours makes a glittery effect.

The composition could be considered as a unique combination of sequential and asymmetrical. There is no significant shading and the technique is oil on canvas. It is also important to mention that the painting is made in style of neoplasticism and that the order of squares is totaly intuitive.

This artwork is a pure example of high contrast with no shading which gives the feeling of looking from the air. The painting is made in two dimensions and there is no particular difference beetween the foreground, middle ground and background. White squares and rectangles represent the space beetween the coloured ones.
Mondrian obviously used oil colours and canvas for making this painting.
We can recognise flat and smooth paint surface, with brush strokes so fine and almost perfect that it is extremely difficult to spot them.

A new title for this Mondrian’s masterpiece could be ‚‚Perfection of Simplicity”. There are no particular symbols as this painting was made in an abstract style, and it is not easy to discover what the artist had in mind. The colours that were used are primary colours and they are a symbol of simplicity. They express positive feelings and create a happy atmosphere. I don’t think there is any particular big idea as it is very abstract and simple.

This artwork is considered to be formalistic because Mondrian used simple mathematical shapes such as squares and rectangles, and variety of strong colours to develop this magnificent painting. I asked my teacher and my friend for an opinion, and they both agreed with me that this painting is unusual. They would also like to have it in their rooms immediately after some of their favourite paintings. They said that although it looks as if it is simple to make it, it must have been very difficult. My teacher also added that this picture could be the artist’s wish for order.

I personaly think that any age group could be interested in this painting because there is nothing particular to understand, it is not complex at all, but still it can have many meanings and everybody could interpret it in his own way.