| In 1949 the first
big comprehensive show of modern art was held in Wiesbaden. There Paul Fontaine was
introduced to Willi Baumeister, Arthur Fauser, and Otto Ritschl and some of the older
established German Expressionist painters such as Emile Nolde, Erich
Heckel and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. The
new trends were a pure art of form. Willi Baumeister, its most significant proponant, was
occupied with the relationship of form, going beyond the purely formal. Little value was
placed on whether he expressed himself in a more romantic tendency or in a classical
absolute form. Fontaine's lyrical informal geometric style in his early works and his
concern for the relation of form would align itself to the definition of Baumeister's
works. Baumeister (who encouraged him to exhibit) defines lyrical abstraction as not a
synthesis of form, rather the impulse to express in advance of form the whole richness and
spontaneity of the inner life, with the artist projecting himself into his work |
The paint mediums used from 1947-1949 were a mixed
medium or oil and ink. The ink would be scraped to reveal surface texture. Fontaine
insists that the painting is a creation independent of any outside supporting factors.
Nature may suggest form but the painting should not be interpreted in something other than
pure form and pure color.
From 1949 on Fontaine's painting techniques remained the same, but his ideas or
inspiration were constantly being investigated. Basically he would make a sketch and
establish the black and white composition of the painting. Then he would visualize
harmonies through color. But the feelings created by adapting color to the black and white
cannot be predicted. Most important is the inspiration, which to Fontaine is the spiritual
quality of a painting. The greater the inspiration, the more the painting has something to
say. The colors used define the spiritual' intent, that unknown quality from which
creativity springs; Fontaine attributed this to his subconscious in action and nothing
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