Intifada 1991

Editor: So, this is "Intifada" by Alexander Bogen, painted in 1991 using oil paints. It's… chaotic, wouldn’t you say? Almost unsettling with those clashing colours and vaguely figurative shapes. What do you see in it? Curator: Unsettling is a great word. It’s a controlled explosion, isn't it? Bogen, with his deeply personal expressionism, seems to be channeling raw emotion here. I see fragmented figures, a sense of struggle, perhaps a disruption of order. The bold colors, while clashing, create a sense of urgency. It’s like he's throwing paint at the canvas to capture a feeling, not just a scene. Does it speak to you on an emotional level? Editor: It does, definitely. I get a sense of… violence, but also maybe resilience? Like something being broken down but also fighting back? Is that too literal an interpretation? Curator: Not at all! The "Intifada" in the title gives us a strong clue – a Palestinian uprising. Knowing that, the fragmented figures could represent individuals caught in conflict, their identities fractured by the violence. But that “fighting back” you sense is key. The dynamism of the brushstrokes, that almost frantic energy – it speaks to resistance, doesn't it? Almost like music with jarring chords, unresolved. Editor: I didn't catch the title's reference. That shifts my perspective quite a bit. The clashing colours suddenly seem deliberate, mirroring the conflict. Curator: Exactly! And Bogen, having lived through intense historical periods himself, funnels all of that emotion, right? Into the work. He's not just depicting an event; he’s embodying the emotional impact. What began as unsettling perhaps, now is something closer to a visceral kind of truth. Editor: Wow, I came in seeing chaos, but now I see… purposeful chaos. I see layers of meaning, resistance, and personal experience woven in. Curator: And that's the magic of art, isn’t it? To go in blind, and feel the scales shift!