Scheinwerfer in der Mondesfinsternis -… 1943

Karl Wiener made this drawing, Scheinwerfer in der Mondesfinsternis –…, with pencil in 1943. It’s an eerie scene of light beams cutting across a dark sky and a partial moon. I imagine Wiener, pencil in hand, pressing and releasing, building the layers of graphite. What was it like to make such a stark and mysterious scene? Perhaps he wanted to explore the tension between light and darkness, between hope and uncertainty. I bet he felt the darkness, he has captured that so well. The texture of the pencil on paper creates a rough, almost unsettling surface, but then those beams of light create movement and direction. It reminds me of other artists who worked with stark black and white imagery, like Franz Kline, but Wiener’s touch is softer and more atmospheric. It’s as if he’s whispering a secret to us. Paintings and drawings are in an ongoing conversation, exchanging ideas across time. Each mark contributes to the overall feeling, inviting us to find our own meaning within the ambiguity.