Untitled 1945

Curator: This compelling, untitled drawing from 1945 is the work of the Soviet collective Kukryniksy. It seems to capture a moment heavy with apprehension. Editor: I'd agree. There's a profound sense of anxiety hanging in the air, almost palpable. You can see it etched in their features, in the slumped posture. Curator: As a drawing, it's fascinating to consider the materiality and means of production. What type of paper was used? What kind of graphite allowed such subtle gradations in tone, contributing to the tense atmosphere? Given its wartime creation, resource availability certainly influenced the choice of media. Editor: Absolutely, and situated in 1945, this work seems inevitably linked to the Nuremberg trials. Look at the figure wearing headphones, he is seemingly listening, absorbing, burdened by what he hears. There is a kind of performative role of listening associated with that position in the courtroom. What implications do those modes of testimony have? Curator: The quickness of the lines! Look at the economical way they suggest form and texture. These weren't strokes labored over; this was efficient, focused image-making. The rapid production hints at urgency, a timely visual response to immediate political events. Editor: Indeed. The exaggerated features verge on caricature, which serves as a tool of social critique. But, more than mockery, there’s a discernible somberness. Consider also, who is meant to see this image, and where. Its distribution amplifies its intended impact, and shapes our own interpretations. Curator: I'm drawn to thinking about how the sketch serves as a preparatory study, how they worked as a collective. Were the final print illustrations made using these individual preliminary portraits or more elaborate compositional studies? And whose hand was responsible for these particular lines, these individual decisions about where to add or subtract material? Editor: And how those processes of collective creation impacted the ultimate message. These figures, drawn at this particular moment, continue to reflect broader power dynamics. What are our responsibilities as witnesses and how does bearing witness transform us? Curator: Considering the paper and production method provides important clues as we contemplate the impact of this ‘untitled’ drawing. Editor: And for me, the weight of this piece stems from how these figures embody the responsibility of hearing, and processing difficult truths and what implications that act creates for the audience engaging with that image even now.