Krass 1973

Here's a painting, Krass, by Arnulf Rainer made with what looks like charcoal, graphite, and oil paint. It’s one of those painterly surfaces where you feel the artist going at it, adding and subtracting, letting things emerge through layers of marks. I can imagine Rainer starting with the figure, smudging and shaping the face, then letting loose with those fierce red and black strokes that feel almost violent, like slashes across the canvas. What do you make of this image, I wonder? Does the figure look 'Krass' or ‘obscene’ as the title translates? I feel the push and pull of control and chaos here, a struggle to capture something raw and visceral. I think of other artists like Francis Bacon or even Cy Twombly, who weren't afraid to embrace the messy, unresolved aspects of painting. It reminds us that art isn't always about beauty or perfection; sometimes, it's about confronting the darker, more uncomfortable parts of being human. Artists are always riffing off each other, it's a big conversation, and the results are as varied as the personalities of the makers.