Fighting Forms

"Fighting Forms" is a painting by German expressionist Franz Marc. Along with Kandinsky, March founded the Blue Rider movement. This painting was created in 1914 and depicts a swirl of red that seems to be fighting with a swirl of black. I really enjoy this painting because I feel as if there is two contrasting images fighting against each other for their survival. Marc typically paints pictures of animals, specifically horses. I believe, that even though you can not tell what shape these swirling objects are, that they are indeed horses. This painting is an example of non-objective abstraction, which is what Kandinsky and he were famous for. March was noted for saying, “Objects speak: objects possess will and form, why should we wish to interrupt them! We have nothing sensible to say to them. Haven’t we learned in the last thousand years that the more we confront objects with the reflection of their appearance, the more silent they become?” I believe this quote sums of this painting in the sense that, yes there is two objects fighting in the painting. It is obvious that there are, however what they are is not obvious, and if you bring their true identity to focus then the painting just wouldn't be as powerful as it is.