General 2018

Art Historian: Today we're looking at "General," an oil-paint painting created in 2018 by Eckart Hahn. It's an animal portrait rendered in a primarily realist style, but with surrealist undertones. Artist: Wow, my first thought is: powerful melancholy! That cougar looks completely resigned. And that little mouse perched on its head... is that a crown or some kind of bizarre power dynamic? The chains and ropes add a whole layer of...is it entrapment? Art Historian: Indeed. Hahn’s work often explores themes of power, control, and the relationships between the oppressor and the oppressed, frequently using animals to explore such dynamics. We should remember, the power and authority attributed to certain figures are constructed by the socio-political landscape, in order to reflect power in society. The question remains: Who put the mouse there? Artist: True. But that realistic detail only amplifies the painting's absurdity, right? And that stare of the cougar cuts straight through the heart. Are we all just...trapped by circumstance, or by someone's agenda. Who put the chains and ropes, too, by the way? Art Historian: Considering Hahn’s background within the contemporary German art scene, there's likely commentary on historical narratives of authority and control. The cougar, as a powerful predator, being so bound subverts our expectations. It references how these expectations of superiority and natural hierarchy serve the interests of certain institutions. Artist: So, maybe this "General" isn’t so general after all. Maybe he, or she, represents a very specific type of...burdened leader? Like, "heavy is the head that wears the crown," but with added ropes and chains! Art Historian: Possibly. The ropes and chains suggest physical constraints. Symbolically, such constraints might speak to the limitations placed on those in power or how power itself can be a form of imprisonment. The mouse can be interpreted as a parasitic element controlling the animal; think, “do not upset the little guy; the giant can't do anything." Artist: It is strangely unsettling; the cougar has everything to remove the parasite mouse, yet there is. But then I go back to the overall feeling—that profound sense of, resignation. Whatever the chains represent. Or however the ropes have been put. Something's up. Thank you. Art Historian: It is thought provoking work for sure. Artist: Agreed!