Kleiner Frühling. 1991/1993.
Oil, fire and smoke on canvas.
Verso of canvas signed, dated and titled. Verso of stretcher once more signed, dated and titled. 68 x 96 cm (26.7 x 37.7 in).

"Kleiner Frühling" (Little Spring) is a prime example of Otto Piene's experimental fire pictures made as of the 1960s. The artist conceived the work in strong and energetic color values. The blazing red of the image ground and the lucent green circle are in a complementary relation joined through the effects of the fire. This way Piene combines visual aspects with the work's message: The red stands for spring's energy, while the green symbolizes growth and evolution. The structures and color nuances that arise from the controlled coincidence caused by the fire are one of Piene's characteristic means of expression which he continuously developed in the course of his artistic life, bringing it to ever new heights of expression.