Soundscape (1982) by Abdul Mati Klarwein

Soundscape - Abdul Mati Klarwein - 1982

Artwork Information

TitleSoundscape
ArtistAbdul Mati Klarwein
Date1982
Art MovementMagic Realism

About Soundscape

The artwork titled “Soundscape,” created by Abdul Mati Klarwein in 1982, is an exemplar of the Magic Realism movement. This landscape piece forms part of the “Inscapes” series. Klarwein’s work frequently weaves elements of the fantastical with those of the real, creating immersive and thought-provoking scenes.

“Soundscape” features a labyrinthine series of terraces that ribbon across the canvas in sinuous lines, creating a rich pattern of curves and contours. The terraces seem both architectural and organic, channeling the flow of some unseen energy or liquid across a vast landscape that melds the natural world with the surreal. The foreground is dominated by cliffs and valleys made up of these terraces, which contain trees and teem with verdant growth, suggesting a confluence of nature’s vitality and human-engineered beauty.

Each terrace is outlined with precision, and the neat black-and-white borders create a striking contrast with the earthy tones of the land and the lush green hues of the foliage. Several large red poles punctuate the scene, imparting a curious sense of scale and perhaps functioning as mysterious markers or conduits. The celestial bodies in the background contribute to the dreamlike quality of the piece, with clouds, sky, and perhaps even water intermixing with the land.

Overall, Klarwein’s “Soundscape” is emblematic of Magic Realism’s goal to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, urging the viewer to look beyond the physical world and explore the many layers of meaning and interpretation that such a dreamscape invites.

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