Hermaphrodite 

Curator: Walter Battiss created this piece, titled "Hermaphrodite", using ink in a style reminiscent of pop art. Editor: My first impression is playful and bizarre. The shapes are so simplified they are almost absurd, floating within this stark white space. There’s something cartoonish about it. Curator: Indeed. Battiss was always fascinated with challenging societal norms and this work certainly participates in the deconstruction of traditional representation. It coincides with a time when artists began exploring themes of identity and the human body. His style clearly rejects academic formality. Editor: Yes, the formal structure avoids any semblance of realism. I am struck by the central figure’s smooth, pink plane. The hard edges of these planar areas push the figure to be read as an ambiguous mass rather than an immediately identifiable subject. The black area dominates, framing the work while also obscuring easy interpretation. Curator: I think his background in archeology and San rock art strongly influenced his vision. He questioned the boundaries of identity in a way that was radical for his time and certainly speaks to some issues that society deals with even today. There is a sense of both anonymity and freedom present. He actively engages with, and rejects, representational norms. Editor: Absolutely, the interplay of flat colors and strong contours creates an intentionally ambiguous form, prompting the viewer to engage with the symbolic associations of hermaphroditism rather than any conventional portraiture. Curator: I appreciate that this work leaves you, the viewer, with questions. There are historical moments when art moves from documentation to conceptual expression, and this is an important example of art participating in these moments. Editor: Considering these simple forms I can’t help but see the intentional provocation, something that transcends beyond what meets the eye and suggests layers beneath.