 |
|
|
 |
|
|||||||||
|
|
||||||||
 |
|
From his earliest childhood Swiss-born German artist Paul Klee (1879 - 1940) expressed a profound interest in the natural world. A youthful fascination with a range of species -- such as insects, snails, cats and flowers -- grew to become the basis of the mature artist's visual vocabulary. Although he was particularly drawn to more humble creatures and plants, Klee learned to distill even complex organisms, including human beings, to their most fundamental aspects. By revealing the most elemental characteristics and mechanisms of the life forms he examines, Klee demonstrates each living thing's uniqueness and facilitates our understanding of the ultimate similarities between diverse species. Many of Klee's images seamlessly blend the distinctions between the plant and animal kingdoms, communicating his integrated view of the universe. With their emphasis on life's commonalities, such works as Blüten in der Nacht (Blossoms in the Night), 1930, and Fata Morgana zur See (Fata Morgana on the Sea), 1918, ultimately reveal Klee's deeply held belief in the totality of existence and the interconnectedness of the Earth and cosmos. From focused studies of insects and flowers to land- and seascapes, Klee's fluid lines and universalized forms imbue his subjects with a powerful sense of movement and inner life. |
|
||
| Paul Klee Fata Morgana zur See c. 1918 watercolor and ink on paper mounted on board 5 x 5 7/8 in. (12.7 x 14.9 cm) Collection SFMOMA. |
||
|
|
| Nineteen of the twenty
works on view in Paul Klee: Signs of Life come from the collection
of Dr. Carl Djerassi, who has amassed one of the largest private holdings
of Klee's work in the world. The bulk of Dr. Djerassi's collection, which
totals over 115 works, was promised as a gift to SFMOMA in 1984. Since that
time, SFMOMA has drawn from the Djerassi Collection, as well as from the
Museum's holdings of other Klee works, to present varying aspects of the
artist's work in the second-floor Djerassi Gallery/Paul Klee Study Center. |
 |
|
Many works in this exhibition are illustrated in the SFMOMA catalogue entitled Paul Klee: The Djerassi Collection at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, available at the MuseumStore. Copyright © 1996-2008 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art 
|
