Unbeknownst to many, the first abstract artist was a Swedish woman named Hilma af Klint. Hilma’s work predates that of Kandinsky and others, and is no less stunning. Influenced by the teachings of Theosophy, her work is a visual representation of a complex view into the spiritual realm. Misunderstood and all but forgotten, this amazing artist and mystic has now been rediscovered almost 100 years later.
Filmmaker Halina Dyrschka brought Hilma af Klint, her art, and her story to life in her recently released documentary “Beyond the Visible – Hilma af Klint,” earning praise from New York Times critic A.O. Scott, who said the film “bristles with the excitement of discovery and also with the impatience that recognition has taken so long. It refreshes the eyes and the mind.”
Barbara Hebert, president of the Theosophical Society in America, interviews Ms. Dyrschka about the film and the life of this amazing artist.
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