Black Flags 1939

Walter Kurt Wiemken made this painting called Black Flags; it’s hard to tell when, exactly, but what strikes me is how immediate the paint feels. The figures are sitting atop what looks like a dune, their pale, ghostly hands holding masks up to their faces. The colour is both muted and intense. See how the pale pinks and beiges are offset by the deep blues and blacks of the flag and the horizon. Look closely at the way Wiemken applied the paint, in thin washes and thick impasto. The surface has a tactile quality that invites you in. What's the story with these masks? Is this a commentary on identity, or is it a more personal reflection on the artist’s own struggles? The way Wiemken seems to reference Ensor's masked figures might suggest the painting reflects the socio-political anxieties of his time. I wonder what he would make of our time? I guess that's up to us.