Ohne Titel V c. 1932

Karl Wiener made this painting, Ohne Titel V, at some point in his short life. The approach feels really direct, look at those raw brushstrokes, and the economical way he uses color to define these figures. You get the sense that Wiener wasn't trying to hide the process. There's something about the materiality here that grabs me, like the way the paint is laid down in these translucent layers, especially in the background, this dark mass with hazy edges. It creates a kind of depth, but also a tension, pushing the figures forward. I love how the bodies are built up from hard-edged shapes. Look at how those knees are just these faceted, angular shapes. It reminds me a bit of Léger, or even some of those early Bauhaus artists, a real interest in form and structure. Ultimately, there's a strangeness to this work, and like all paintings, it leaves you with more questions than answers.