Ali Podrimja 2016

Curator: Gazmend Freitag created this sensitive drawing, entitled “Ali Podrimja,” in 2016. It appears to be graphite or pencil on paper. Editor: It has a somber feeling, doesn't it? The sitter’s gaze is very direct, almost confrontational. The marks are visible and give the piece an unfinished or immediate air. Curator: It’s interesting to consider why Freitag chose this medium. Graphite, or perhaps charcoal given the depth of some tones, lends itself to quick studies, to capturing likenesses with minimal investment in elaborate materials. We have to ask ourselves, what does it mean to depict this subject this way? Editor: Podrimja, the poet, becomes almost…everyman. Stripped of ornamentation. It's interesting considering portraiture’s historical association with power and status; this seems to almost push against that. Who has the privilege of being memorialized? Whose image circulates? Curator: Indeed. And given Freitag's artistic practice, which often encompasses political and social themes, the choice to portray Podrimja, a prominent literary figure, in such an unadorned manner likely holds significance. The image’s distribution surely matters to Freitag. Is it widely accessible, or confined to certain circles? Does its reproduction maintain the integrity of the artist’s hand? Editor: The fact that it's a drawing is also worth dwelling on. It allows for the evidence of process and the trace of the artist's hand. Does that give it a kind of authenticity in a world saturated with easily-reproducible digital images? Curator: It's as if Freitag emphasizes the work and the artistic practice, which feels quite intimate given the medium. He gives us insight into his craft and simultaneously memorializes Ali Podrimja. The weight of that, of having an image to preserve, says so much. Editor: Precisely. This piece prompts us to question who is remembered, how they are remembered, and through what means. Curator: I concur. It is an honest portrait and an invitation to think about artistic and social value.