Hilma af Klint & Piet Mondrian: ‘Forms of Life’ at the Tate Modern, London
Hilma af Klint,The Ten Largest, Group IV, No. 3, Youth, 1907. Courtesy of The Hilma af Klint Foundation
Hilma af Klint and Piet Mondrian are both complex artists, whose practises changed dramatically over the years. The exhibition ‘Forms of Life’ (at London’s Tate Modern until 3 September 2023) captures the depth by which both artists examined the beauty of the natural world around them, and how they captured that essence in their art. The exhibition is highly effective in mapping that change over time, showing that the two amazing artists had a similar fascination with the flora and fauna that invigorates life.
Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) was a Swedish artist who began as a landscape painter, but after adopting a very spiritual approach to life and her art, created some of the earliest abstract paintings in Western art history. The Tate exhibition rightly highlights the importance of spirituality in her works; the second room, ‘Evolution’, is breath-taking in its presentation of af Klint’s The Paintings for the Temple. Here, the probing questions of life and divinity are abundantly clear in her paintings. Af Klint followed the occult religion of Theosophy, which believed in the reincarnation of the soul and promoted values of social improvement and universal fraternity. Theosophy’s influence on af Klint is visible in the swirling, colourful symbolist works she created.
Hilma af Klint, The Paintings for the Temple, 1906-1911. Courtesy of The Hilma af Klint Foundation. Photo by Jordian Lian.
Theosophy also inspired Piet Mondrian (1872-1944), a Dutch painter who also started his career painting landscapes. The opening room, ‘Rooted in Nature’ features several early Mondrian paintings that are realist depictions of trees and landscapes. However, in ‘Evolution’ we similarly see the spiritual awakening that shapes Mondrian’s work.
Piet Mondrian, Evolution, 1911. Photo by Jordian Lian.
The ‘Metamorphosis’ room provides further insight into how each artist approached their personal connection to the natural world. I really enjoyed the notes and sketches that had af Klint’s notes, because they opened a window into her thought process and her perspective of the world. Even more stunning were the series of cultivated flowers that Mondrian had painted and sketched. They lined an entire wall, and I simply loved the range of colours and expressions he used. It was almost as if each flower had its own personality.
Hilma af Klint,The Swan, The SUW/UW Series, Group IX: Part 1, No. 17, 1914-1915. Courtesy of The Hilma af Klint Foundation. Photo by Jordian Lian.
The exhibition guides us through the progression of their work from realist to spiritually-motivated to fully abstract. A personal favourite was af Klint’s The Swan series from 1914. The striking black-and-white painting depicts two mirror-image swans that embody elegance and power. However, they also take on a new dimension thanks to the previous rooms that wonderfully framed af Klint’s interest in nature. ‘Space and Rhythm’ then features a number of Mondrian’s famous paintings of horizontal and vertical black lines on an austere white background, with primary colours and shades of grey.
Piet Mondrian, Composition with Red, Black, Yellow, Blue and Grey, 1921. Kunstmuseum DenHaag
Yet, the real treat is in the last room, where af Klint’s artwork blooms to life. The room features The Ten Largest, which are true to their title. These are large-scale works that spring, fizz, swirl, and pop with colour and movement. Yet, beyond their size each is remarkably buoyant in its use of bright colours and bold outlines. Seeing the works is a breath of inspiration and joy.
Hilma af Klint, The Ten Largest, No. 1, Childhood, 1907. Courtesy of The Hilma af Klint Foundation. Photo by Jordian Lian.
I loved the exhibition so much I cycled through twice! The complexity of the artists’ beliefs and practises was well-represented by the exhibition, and the Tate curators did an outstanding job of guiding us through their progression. I enjoyed seeing their works in conversation, as I felt it brought new life to my previous understanding of the individual artists.
Tickets for children under 12 are free, tickets for 12 to 18 year-olds cost GBP 5. Aware of Tate Collective? Tate Collective is the Tate’s special scheme for 16 to 25 year-olds, offering GBP 5 tickets for all exhibitions and free events.