1933 1933

Karl Wiener made this watercolor, entitled 1933, in Germany. It’s all about mood and how marks can make that happen. The colors are murky, like something under the sea, but then those eyes! The surface is translucent. You can see how the colors run into each other, like he was chasing an idea, and the water helped. The paper feels absorbent, as if it’s drinking the color. Look at the eyes, they are the focal point, not because of the color, but the stark contrast with the muddy hues surrounding them. The mouth too is a slash of red, heightening the drama. The whole thing feels like a memory or a premonition. I’m thinking of other artists like Otto Dix, who were tapping into a similar vein of disillusionment. But in the end, it’s Wiener’s voice we hear, his way of feeling the world.