1984.200.FA Piet Mondrian, Composition with Large Blue Plane, Red, Black, Yellow, and Gray

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Piet Mondrian referred to his artistic practice of abstraction as neoplasticism, or new structuring. In this neoplastic work, painting is reduced to strict rectangular lanes of pure primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) and non-colors (white, black, and gray), with black vertical and horizontal lines. Mondrian deliberated about every square inch of his canvas. He rethought, reworked, and refined. In the finished work, there is no center. There is no foreground and background. Planes of color are strong and pure. They coexist harmoniously and without hierarchy.

A neoplastic work does not describe the fluctuations of natural appearances. It reveals instead the underlying, essential order of nature and is capable of reshaping not only art but also the way we live.

Excerpt from

DMA label copy, 2003.

NOTES

Created 1921

Gen Desc is Arts of Europe label text January 2003

Catalogue essays

Foundation for the Arts

Artist/designers

Mondrian, Piet (Dutch, 1872 - 1944)

Cultures

Geography

Process/materials

Oil on canvas

Historical periods

Individuals

Subject terms

2006.6 Ilya Bolotowsky, Open Diamond

PROVENANCE

AUDIO ASSETS

VIDEO ASSETS

IMAGE ASSETS

WEB RESOURCES

Mondrianmat~Use this simple website to make your own digital image inspired by Mondrian.
The Mondrian Guide to Life~Browse this list of ways to incorporate the artist's aesthetics and techniques into your daily life. (Tate, 2014)

ARCHIVAL RESOURCES

FUN FACTS

TEACHING IDEAS

TI Piet Mondrian, Composition with Large Blue Plane, Red, Black, Yellow, and Gray

RULES

Apply to objects where number equals 1984.200.FA

General Description

Piet Mondrian referred to his artistic practice of abstraction as neoplasticism, or new structuring. In this neoplastic work, painting is reduced to strict rectangular lanes of pure primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) and non-colors (white, black, and gray), with black vertical and horizontal lines. Mondrian deliberated about every square inch of his canvas. He rethought, reworked, and refined. In the finished work, there is no center. There is no foreground and background. Planes of color are strong and pure. They coexist harmoniously and without hierarchy.