Zwei Kerzen 1982

Editor: Looking at Gerhard Richter's "Zwei Kerzen," painted in 1982 using oil paint, I’m struck by its soft, almost dreamlike quality. The blurred focus creates a sense of quiet contemplation. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The symbolism of candles, especially two, runs deep through art history and collective memory. They're immediate stand-ins for remembrance, mortality, the duality of light and darkness. But the "blur," as you astutely point out, disrupts any easy reading. Richter does this to force us beyond immediate symbolism. Editor: So, the blurring isn't a flaw, but a deliberate choice? How does that choice shift the candle's meaning? Curator: Precisely. The softness erodes certainty. Are these candles a symbol of hope or loss? Love or loneliness? The lack of clarity invites introspection. Do they ignite a sense of personal mourning within you, or quiet domesticity? Richter doesn't provide the answers. He provides the space to question. Editor: I guess it pushes the focus from the candles themselves to the emotions they evoke, making it less about what they ARE and more about what they FEEL like. Curator: Exactly. It becomes a vessel for individual reflection and contemplation of what the simple act of lighting candles means for the viewer, and within what contexts the practice arises for them. It touches on memory and meaning and being that extends into how each person carries cultural memory. Editor: That's fascinating. I came in thinking it was a simple still life, but now I see layers of complexity I hadn't considered. Curator: Richter masterfully plays with the tension between representation and abstraction, reminding us that images carry a heavy cultural weight. I will contemplate how its effect relates to me in my cultural context!