686 Good Morning City (Bleeding Town) - Friedensreich Hundertwasser

A screenprint by Friedensreich Hundertwasser depicting organic, grid-like urban structures in high-chroma red and green tones.

Good Morning City, also known as Bleeding Town, is a screenprint by the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Created between 1969 and 1970, this work reflects the artist's preoccupation with the relationship between humanity and the built environment. Hundertwasser rejected the straight line, which he viewed as a tool of oppression, and instead favoured organic, irregular forms that mimic the natural world.

The composition features a cluster of towering, block-like structures that resemble skyscrapers, yet they possess a fluid, almost biological quality. The surfaces are covered in a grid of small, hand-painted squares, each varying slightly in colour and tone. This repetition creates a sense of rhythmic movement across the surface. The palette is dominated by high-chroma reds and greens, which contrast sharply against the white background. Two large, dark, oval apertures appear to bleed into the surrounding architecture, suggesting a sense of vulnerability or decay within the urban fabric.

Hundertwasser often incorporated metallic elements into his prints, and this work is no exception, featuring metal embossing that adds a tactile dimension to the flat surface. The inclusion of a colour scale on the left side and the artist's signature stamps at the bottom are characteristic of his meticulous approach to printmaking. This piece serves as a visual critique of modern urban planning, offering an alternative vision where architecture is allowed to breathe, grow, and change over time. The work remains a significant example of his graphic output, demonstrating his ability to merge architectural concepts with a deeply personal, painterly aesthetic. It invites the viewer to reconsider the rigid structures of the city and imagine a more human-centred approach to design.