Piet Mondrian is best known for painting primary colored squares and rectangles. For this episode, fellow art teacher, Jeff Arndt and I talked about the big ideas that led Mondrian to make such simple work. He pushed the ideas of modern abstract art further than anyone else. Mondrian limited himself to basic elements of simple lines, shapes, and colors to focus on the principles of design like balance and proportion.

A common misconception about Mondrian is that his personal life was as bland as his art. Mondrian was actually quite charming. He took pains to be elegantly dressed at all times, he was kind and an avid dancer. He was said to be great at the foxtrot and the Charleston in particular. The ladies loved him, and he had multiple relationships including an engagement he called off in 1911, but he never married. I think my favorite odd bit though is according to a biographer, among the women of Amsterdam, Mondrian “developed a reputation for interesting, prolonged kisses, sometimes lasting for more than half an hour.” but back on point, he loved dancing and he loved music. While he was in Paris, he was particularly fond of the black American musicians that passed through including greats like Louis Armstrong. Mondrian talked about how the pianist accompanying Armstrong “allowed the bass line played with his left hand to fall out of sync, contrasting with the rhythmically varied ‘melody’ played by his right hand” Mondrian was all about the rhythm.

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Piet Mondrian | Composition with Red Blue and Yellow