Paul+Klee

=Paul Klee=

By: Addi Barnes

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paul_Klee,_Swiss_-_Fish_Magic_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
 * Fish Magic**

**First Impression:**
My first impression of this art is somewhat confused. The fish and flowers and other pictures feel sort of random and mismatched and I am not sure what they are supposed to represent. This randomness gives the painting a mysterious and magical feel. Looking at this piece, the contrast of the black background and brightly colored pictures makes the pictures stand out, and the hints of color in the background add to mysterious mood. The picture that stands out the most to me is the clock on the middle. It is different from everything else because the other pictures are mostly nature-related, yet the clock is there in the middle, a reminder of the ticking time. Maybe it is supposed to represent time passing by as nature grows and changes.

**Second Impression:**
After researching Paul Klee, I learned that he was also a talented musician, and that a lot of his style was based off the themes, rhythm, and harmony found in music. Knowing this, in the painting I can see the rhythm and repetition of symbols throughout his work, and how it all comes together in a sort of "harmony". He also saw similarity between the two arts, for example, the temporary but soothing nature of a musical performance, and how it is similar to that of painting. Maybe this is the reason for the clock in the middle of the painting, showing how good things are often fleeting. I also learned that Klee likes to create a mysterious or magical feel in many of his paintings, which I can see in this piece through his use of color and symbols. After research, I learned that the square-like outline in the middle is actually a square of muslin, glued on to create the feeling of a curtain, waiting to be ripped off, with more mysteries waiting behind. This was yet another technique Klee used to add to the magical and mysterious mood created in his painting.

**Marjamshausen**
https://www.mfah.org/art/detail/45237

**First Impression:**
At first glance, this art does not look very professional. The bright watercolors make it seem sort of childish in a way but also help create a cheerful and upbeat mood. It looks like a town, with many different colorful and patterned buildings. Looking at the painting, I notice a lot of the patterns repeat, sometimes in different colors, which helps bring the painting together and create unity. I also notice crosses in a couple of the squares near the top. This leads me to believe Klee was very religious and maybe the crosses are supposed to represent his beliefs or those of the town.

**Second Impression:**
After researching Paul Klee, I learned that he really admired the artwork of children, and that he tried to implement the same sort of simplicity and cheerfulness into his own paintings. I had noticed this a little bit before, that it looked sort of like art a child might paint, but after knowing this, I can see it a lot more in his work, and I don't see it in such a negative way. At first I felt like the simplicity and childishness of it made it look unprofessional, but now that I look at it more, I can better appreciate it and how it adds to the beauty and uniqueness of the work. I also learned that Klee was very interested in color and liked to experiment with it. Knowing this, his use of color throughout the painting stands out to me a lot more. His bright color choice gives the town a cheerful and peaceful mood, and repeating colors throughout the town gives it unity.

http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/crosses-and-columns-by-paul-klee-stefano-baldini.jpg
 * Crosses and Columns**

**First Impression:**
This piece is very interesting. The columns and crosses seem sort of randomly scattered around the painting, and they seem like an odd combination. I am not sure how they relate. This seems to be a recurring element in his work, because Fish Magic was similar in that way: it felt sort of random. Another recurring theme is the crosses. I noticed them in the last piece, Marjamshausen. This tells me his beliefs and religion were very important to him, and he liked to show them in his paintings. Additionally, the brightly colored dots in the background give the piece an upbeat and cheerful mood, and make it seem sort of like a mosaic.

**Second Impression:**
After finding out more about Klee, I learned that he liked to combine the arts of writing and visual art by using picture symbols and signs. Now, his uses of the cross and column symbols stand out to me more and make more sense. He was trying to use these symbols to portray a message in his art, like letters in writing. I also learned that Klee was a transcendentalist, who is someone who has many beliefs about the good of people and independence, but also adopts the Christian Unitarian belief in God. This explains the crosses in his work. Additionally, his passion for color and simplicity explains the brightly colored dots in the background. He used the power of color to create a mood that is cheery and hopeful, as well as add detail and interest to the piece.

http://collections.artsmia.org/art/1318/howling-dog-paul-klee
 * Howling Dog**

**First Impression:**
My first impression of this piece is that it is very unique and interesting, but somewhat confusing. I am not sure exactly what the central figure is, but the twisting lines and darker colors give the painting a mysterious and abstract feel. His use of the coloring and lines gives the painting depth as well. To me, the figure in the middle looks like deer or a pack of dogs. It is interesting how the sun and brighter colors are used surrounding the figure, but the outside is dark. I wonder why. The uniqueness of this painting tells me that Klee had an abstract and different way of looking at things, and was probably a very intelligent man.

**Second Impression:**
One thing I learned about Paul Klee is that he was known as the "father of abstract art", and was one of the first artists to practice this style. The twisting figure in the middle definitely gives the painting an abstract feel, as you cannot really tell what it is by looking at it. With research, I learned that it is a howling dog, with the solitary dog in the middle, and the twisting lines around it representing the lasting sound of the howl. Knowing this gives me a new perspective on the painting, and creates a mood that feels desperate and alone. I also learned that many of Klee's paintings reflect his personal moods at the time, so maybe the feelings of loneliness and hopelessness portrayed through the dog were meant to represent the feelings of Klee at the time.

http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/51036.html?mulR=1318278334|12
 * Glance of a Landscape**

**First Impression:**
Looking at this piece, it has a kind of odd and mysterious feel to it. It seems like the focus is the red eye in the middle which gives the painting a creepy feeling, like you are being watched. The dark and dreary surrounding colors add to the mysterious mood and make the red in the eye stand out. The title of "Glance of a Landscape" makes me wonder if the eye represents Klee's eye and how he sees life and the landscape around him, as mostly bleak and empty, but with hints of color and beauty. The trees are sparse and wilted, making the landscape look desolate. There are lots of rigid lines, portraying a mood that feels sort of angry, negative, and alone. Throughout the painting, I notice tints of bright color trying to shine through, which lightens the mood a little bit.

**Second Impression:**
Now that I know a lot of Klee's paintings are based of his personal moods, I think this piece is similar to the one above: it's negative mood and sense of hopelessness are probably representing the feelings of Klee. After research, I also know that Klee likes to incorporate mystical or unusual elements in his work. The eye is that recurring element that gives the painting a mysterious feel, and the darker shading contributes to it as well. Another thing I have learned about Klee is his fascination with color. He was very interested in the power of color, and it is uniquely used in all of his paintings. In this one, the shades of red, yellow, and blue have a significant impact on the overall feel of the piece. Without it, the painting would feel empty, unfinished, and boring. The color, however, gives it interesting detail and adds to the mystical, magical mood.


 * Final Reflection:**

Paul Klee had his own unique style of painting that was based off his personal interests, moods, and sense of humor. All of his art represented him as an individual and his imagination, rather than the real outside world. This is important because it helps explain his work, what it means, and why he painted the way he did. In the future, someone would probably say his work was very abstract and somewhat puzzling, but in a way that gave it a unique appeal. His style of art might not be very common or popular then, and viewers might be confused. The more they looked at it though, I think they would realize the beauty in it, and appreciate his work. I would ask him how he got ideas for his paintings, because they all seem so unusual and random. I wonder where he got his inspiration, and why he chose to paint the things he did. I would say my strongest section was my second impression of Fish Magic because I was able to connect a lot of the information I learned about Klee to the piece. For example, I could see the rhythm and harmony similar to music in his paintings. Knowing his thought about time as it relates to art and music, I was able to come up with the possible connection to the clock appearing in the painting. I was also able to use what I had learned about the mystical and magical elements often found in his paintings, and connect it to how it was shown in the piece and the techniques he used. I would say my weakest section was probably my second impression of Glance of a Landscape because I could not really figure out the meaning or theme of the piece. I researched a lot but could not find much about what it was supposed to mean or represent. I gave my thoughts about the mood and his use of color but could not really uncover the deeper meaning of the piece. I also repeated a lot of the same details I had mentioned before, or noticed in other paintings.
 * If you had one thing to share about your artist, what is the most important thing people to know about the artist and or artwork?**
 * What would someone in the future say about your artist/the artwork?**
 * If you had one question you would ask your artist that research didn’t answer, what would it be and why?**
 * In evaluating your wiki, what’s your strongest section and why and give examples? (3 details)**
 * What’s weakest section, why (3 details)?**

Works Cited "Paul Klee Biography." //The Art Story//, 2017, www.theartstory.org/artist-klee-paul.htm. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017. Percy, Ann. "Philadelphia Museum of Art: Handbook of the Collections." //Philadelphia Museum of Art//, 2017, www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/51036.html. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017. Rewald, Sabine. "Paul Klee." //The Met//, Oct. 2004, www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/klee/hd_klee.htm. Accessed 17 Jan. 2017. 
 * If you had one thing to share about your artist, what is the most important thing people to know about the artist and or artwork?**


 * What would someone in the future say about your artist/the artwork?**


 * If you had one question you would ask your artist that research didn’t answer, what would it be and why?**


 * In evaluating your wiki, what’s your strongest section and why and give examples? (3 details)**


 * What’s weakest section, why (3 details)?**