Paul Klee, the German/Swiss painter and teacher/mentor at the Bauhaus, had strong feelings and beliefs about color, form, and structural expression. In the 1924 publication On Modern Art, Klee stated: “Sometimes I dream of a work of really great breadth, ranging through the whole region of element, object, meaning and style…We must go on seeking it! We have parts, but not the whole! We still lack the ultimate power, for: the people are not with us. But we seek a people. We began over there in the Bauhaus. We began there with a community to which each one of us gave what we had. More we cannot do.” What are your thoughts on Paul Klee and his work within the context of this lament that the people are not with the avant-garde, they are not with the experimental artists?
Alexlander Eliasberg, Photograph of Paul Klee, 1911
Paul Klee, Twittering Machine, 1922
roberttracyphd
Continuing Thoughts on Modern Art 
October 24th, 2011 at 3:35 am
Klees work is simple compared to many artists of this time. I like his clean lines and cool colors. He encompasses his quote by keeping his work open to new ideas, shapes and style. I feel as if society during this time did not except this new movement and this made it difficult for artists to truly succeed. No matter how hard they tried with new colors, mediums or ideas they did not feel acceptance from society. The experiments they tried seem to be shut down. At the same token, as the artists put their emotions into art, this is all they can do. I feel an artist can only produce work that is inside of them and can only conform so much. Even though these artist longed to have the community behind them, they must stay true to what they believe. Klee focused was on this experimental art and did not feel it was necessary to please society even though he knew it would be great to have ‘people’ in his corner
October 24th, 2011 at 9:18 pm
I feel like Paul Klee’s opinion may come from seeing art work that has some elements as in certain colors, structural expression, and form but not all work and most of work do not have ALL the elements in their work. He said he believed in these elements. I think that he is correct that most work should consist of these things, but more than just having all the elements they should believe in their techniques. Artists use these elements to make a successful piece. The thought process behind art is what makes the art successful.
October 25th, 2011 at 11:57 pm
Paul Klee’s art and ideals are the beginning of the abstract expressionists and most modern art. He focuses on the basic elements of art in a non-traditional sense. His works have a simplistic look and they reflect his strong beliefs in color, form, and structural expression. Although people at the time were already in oposition of this non-traditional art, Klee foresaw that art could be pushed further. He realized that art had been revolutionized since 1900, and he saw a lot of room for growth. This growth requires a community of people to generate ideas. To do so people need to accept and embrace this new art.
October 26th, 2011 at 6:01 am
Klee was searching for a group of followers with the aim of encompassing all aspects of the elements of life. Inspired by non-traditional movements he wanted to push forward in the direction of new expressions. He took previous knowledge of color theory, style and meaning and expanded what that meant into something new and profound. Many people of the time didn’t want to except or understand this which made his goal of getting the “whole” involved impossible. Without the communities full potential of creation involved in this idea he could never achieve what he felt was needed for a work of great breadth.
October 27th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
It seems that Klee’s words are as abstract as his artwork. From what I can interpret, Klee (and perhaps most of the German expressionist artists of his time) continually seek more enlightenment in regard to their artwork and emotional expression. Their use of color, line, and shape vary greatly in creative expression. The fact the Klee ‘dreams’ about this notion suggests that it may not be something he sees as obtainable, but more of an intangible idea that will dedicate his life to.
December 2nd, 2011 at 2:47 am
I do not know quite what lee is saying in this quote and can agree with you when you state that his words are as abstract as his paintings. I do not understand his painting and as Peter commented it looks like something a four year old did it. When he says that the people are not with the avante-guard, they are not with the experimental artist is almost like his way of an excuse to explain why people do not like his work and cannot understand it so he is putting the blame on someone else’s shoulders
October 30th, 2011 at 6:44 am
I can empathize with Klee’s passion on creating works of art with great breadth and quality and seeking people that would embrace it all. I don’t think I can extend this to his feelings of perhaps slight frustration or sorrow that not a whole lot of people are open to avant-garde. Personally, I believe an art work needs to speak for itself. Avante-garde or not, something has to intrigue and pique the interest of people. His work Twittering Machine looks as if a 4th grader created it and that’s probably how it will be received regardless of his intentions or explanations about the piece…
October 30th, 2011 at 9:48 pm
When I look at Twittering Machine and reflect on Klee’s yearning sentiment for unity and a greater breadth through artistic expression, I get the sense of disunity; something that was felt in his time as society felt it difficult to acclimate to this new and powerful movement. The cool tones make the piece seem cold, damp, and isolated. The scrawny stick figures portray a sense of frailty and instability. The overall simplicity of the work make the piece seem barren and removed from any collective appreciation. I think that Klee saw this, and reflected his observation on the canvas in a highly expressionistic manner. Had he of been graced with acceptance from the general populace for his works and for his strong beliefs in art, perhaps I would be seeing more than what I can superficially capture in this painting.
November 3rd, 2011 at 10:51 pm
I believe he is speaking about how the common person is not understanding the work of the avant garde artist. They have all of the elements needed in their work but because it is so new and different it is not understood. It’s seems as if they are seeking an audience who understands the content of the work. Until the people understand the work they will not be able to have this ultimate power. People tend to fear and not understand new things and this is a great example of this fear. Eventually the work will evoke feelings from people other than artists but until this happens they will have to wait for the power.
November 4th, 2011 at 2:44 am
Klee, along with many other artists, wished for their communities to accept them and their artwork. He longs of a “work of really great breadth,” but it is unattainable because he does not have all the “parts,” the people. People were very critical of anything new and different and this was probably hard on artists. They put so much time and emotion into their art and for it to be constantly criticized is awful. But Klee sounds somewhat optimistic when he says, “We must go on seeking it!”
November 5th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Klee’s quote, “We must go on seeking it! We have parts, but not the whole!” brings some truth when one thinks they are done with their artwork, but another thinks that more can be added. “We began there (the Bauhaus) with a community to which each one of us gave what we had. More we cannot do” would be in favor of the artist who thinks the work is complete, for sometimes, they have nothing more to give to the work.
November 8th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
I think this quote really grasps at the problems that avant-garde artists were going through….I think its excellent that Klee and other artists were trying to reach out to people and sad that people refused to try and understand art at this time. When Klee mentioned that they only have parts, not the whole, is that the people were not with them, them being the ultimate power. Not necessarily meaning that they needed the public’s approval but perhaps more manpower, more forward-thinking in terms of art and philosophy in order to even try and grasp at the ‘whole.’
To create a large thinking community, through art, literature, and philosophy, and that would hopefully lead to a ‘whole’
Art as a way to better oneself, and ultimately as a whole community. It’s unfortunate that they were not able to do more to spread avant-garde art into the community.
November 9th, 2011 at 2:14 am
I believe Klee had a touch of everything that he stated in his quote, “not the whole” because in his painting you see cool colors and figures in his style of renderation but not a fully developed figure or idea. You get a glimpse of how much this painting could be pushed further or how great it already is but many people of that time did not accept this style of painting because they were so used to how art was and how it should develop into more complicated things. I believe that how the colors react and the simplicity of the figures makes this painting stand out more than had it been developed fully and how far you push whatever art you do is solely up the the artist him/herself and shouldn’t bare the demands of your audience
November 9th, 2011 at 6:29 am
Klee had a dream, a vision of what art could be if only people were on board with the evolution. As an artist he was ready to realize that dream, but was hindered by the lack of understanding. However, I understand why people weren’t on board with his vision. Even a century later I find it hard to embrace works like his Twittering Machine as art. It’s an imbedded cultural thing. I look at a piece like this and at first I see a doodle trying to pass as art and it’s because the tradition is still feed to us during our education. The debate over what constitutes art is endless and still going on. How much harder was it during Klee’s time to expand one’s mind? But the initial evolution is due to a naive lack of understanding. I actually had to print this one out because a computer screen just isn’t a good way to spend time with art. The cool colors offer a sense of serenity to an image that is anything but peaceful. The choice of peaceful blues, purples, and pinks, the colors of a misty dawn, are used deceptively and it is precisely this deception that shows Klee’s value for color. The color invites you in to examine the doodled birds. While not realistically rendered they are still recognizable as birds by the pointy maws and spindle legs. They seem to be singing yet they are trapped, chained to some sort of machine. I feel it is a pointed commentary on the mechanization of society, the advance of the machine and the rape of the natural world. Klee is reacting to his times and he is eager to depict his reactions outside of normal conventions. He is ready for some companionship in his endeavors. But unless people are willing to broaden their perceptions and spend time with his work, they will never get it. And most people don’t want to take the time to learn something new that is countercultural to their upbringing. He is ready, but no one is willing.
November 13th, 2011 at 5:01 am
Judging from the style that Klee shows in “Twittering Machine” and other works of this sort, it seems that the artist reduces the form to essential elements, striving for some universal plastic language that can reach everybody– “a work of really great breadth, ranging through the whole region of element, object, meaning and style…” As simple as they may appear, his forms might not be easily understood and accessed, therefore there is the artist’s concern that “people are not with us.”
November 15th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
By the way he made such a strong statement of seeking work of really great breadth, perhaps Paul Klee wished for a bigger support group but at the same time he chose to remain true to himself and his style of art. Agreed with comments above, Klee does sound very optimistic, even with all the criticism he may have faced. “We must go on seeking it!” is one of the greatest attitudes so far from these experimental artists in the avant-garde. He just wants to spread his knowledge and interests to the community, but if the community resists, then there is not much he can do as just one person. But he does not give up there. I think it may be easier today for people to let his style of work come through and be seen as amazing because we’ve seen many style throughout the centuries and this is different than what has been done and we like different now days. If only he knew that we appreciate his work today, then I think he would feel that ultimate power he speaks of.
November 27th, 2011 at 4:45 am
Paul Klee and the avant-guarde were teachers and leaders of modernism in art. They were introducing new ideas and encouraging all the possibilities to come into existence. In a way they were the “enlightened” and saw the relationship between art and the viewer as a sort of puzzle that needed to be solved. I find this to be a valid purpose, and undeniably motivational. The seemed to set out to re-educate the viewers and the collectors on the subject of art, encouraging that world to buy into the type of art that they themselves wanted to create, instead of creating the redundant types of work that still to this day is preferred by people who do not collect art at all.
November 28th, 2011 at 2:09 am
Paul Klee has the right idea to search for people who can devise ideas that will impact modern art. The vision for a work of art that has great breadth my be him actually speaking about the artists he hopes are out there and not afraid to work in the modernist fashion. Great artists can make great works and they need to be made. his work is not overly complicated and feel that is what most of the modernists intentions were. Simplifying things was a common goal of the time in art.
November 28th, 2011 at 6:14 am
When I view Paul Klee’s works, namely the “Twittering Machine” I can see that structure and form were things that were important to him. The piece itself is very simple, and gives us a sense of an organized space with calm cool tones. It may seem elementary in style, but despite the simplicity it still evokes a sense of deeper meaning.
As far as his lament that people are not with experimental artists, I think the problem is just that not enough people are supportive or understanding of it. Although any artists main desire should be self-expression, in the end if they aren’t relating to the public and don’t have their support, they cannot be successful or well known. It’s difficult to be a pioneer in any field, and most times these individuals are met with harsh criticism. The avant-garde artists have an even harder time, because artists already have to deal with the many who don’t “get” art in general, so to bring in an experimental aspect to it creates an even larger distance between artists and the viewers. All successful works of art have to be somehow relatable.
November 30th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
Klee’s quote reflects that the support from his community meant a great deal to him, something that Bauhaus was denied. I can’t imagine the stress one would experience having this drive to express themselves but then to be shut down by their community because they were not excepting. I can only imagine one might express a sense of betrayal and neglectfulness from their country not being able to express oneself. This feeling of nonacceptance caused the Bauhaus to move their facility from location to location but eventually disbanded due to the war and Nazi controll.
December 3rd, 2011 at 4:36 am
The work that he produced was simple. He was trying to express himself and find others that where willing to express themselves as well. I don’t think other artists weren’t as willing to express themselves so openly becaues they were trying to relate to the public. Experimental art is risky because the public wanted to be able to understand. Klee wanted to express himself however he felt was right and wanted other artists to do the same.
December 4th, 2011 at 9:28 pm
Klee’s work can be easily brushed off as meaningless scribbles by those who truly take no interest in it. Yet, for those who are willing to try and understand his work, an entire new perspective will open up. We are often to quick to judge something because it seems irrelevant to our own lives. A quick line drawing might not be captivating at first glance. However, what can be learned from analyzing an object that is readily recognizable. Klee’s work “Twittering Machine” invites you to try and figure out what message lies beyond the scribbles. The experimental artists of this time were often misunderstood and did not receive the backing of most of society. Yet, for those who did learn something from this art movement, a slight change was made and opened the doors for many artists of today.
December 7th, 2011 at 8:13 pm
I think that he is right about people not being with the avant-garde artists. Even today, in younger generations, if you are not an artist it may be hard to be “with” or understand any kind of modern art. Klee is talking about the way in which we can bring more to art. His pieces seem so simple, but from the way he describes art and by analyzing his work, you can tell that they are very well thought out and have meaning to every aspect of the composition.
December 12th, 2011 at 3:07 am
It seems as though Paul Klee is saying how artists need to go beyond their limits and comfort zone to experiment with art. In addition, I think Klee wants artists to specifically look inside themselves and create art from their subconscious rather than creating art to appeal to the public. By observing Twittering Machine, it is obvious that Klee has produced art beyond the surface and has provided a deeper essential meaning to it.
December 14th, 2011 at 6:30 pm
It has been my artistic experience, that most people do not like new things or new ideas. We live in a traditional society, one in which enjoys homogeneous ways of thinking. Group think, makes the job of the avant-garde artist difficult. The term avant-garde is French for ahead of the pack. Meaning that avant-garde artists are steps ahead of the masses, and it is the duty of the masses to play catch up with the artist. Instead of attempting to catch up, most people would rather write the artist off as crazy, or insane. When Klee says: “The people are not with us.” It is conclusive to assume these artists were ahead of everyone else.
The beauty in Klee’s statement is that it is congruent with his actions. Klee was such a key player in developing the next generation of artists. He had vision into what art could be, and he wasted no time and made his dream a reality.
Reading of the Bauhaus fascinates me. It makes me believe that art is a medium that can harness social transformation. The Bauhaus was such a safe haven for abstract artists. The uncertain time of chaos in which the Bauhaus was created is liberating. It supports my ideas that art can be a channel to create social change.
When I think of the Bauhaus and Paul Klee’s statement , I instantly refer to the notion of what artistic power could look like if it could be materialized. The Bauhaus and all of its changes from 1919 to 1938 point to the everlasting quality of dedication to the arts. It shows me that no matter how many changes the social or political climate is, art will always prevail.
December 15th, 2011 at 9:45 pm
Paul Klee’s statement, “…We have parts, but not the whole! We still lack the ultimate power, for: the people are not with us.” is a powerful one. I believe he meant that through experimental art, they technically had the power to express anything, however the problem was that people might not understand. In order for people to understand this particular form of expression, he needed more artists to truly express themselves and not just worry about what was socially acceptable in the art world during that time.