Groteske c. 1928

Karl Wiener's 'Groteske' is made up of what looks like colored pencils or wax crayons, layered on top of each other to create the various textures and tones in the artwork. I love how awkward and angular all the figures are. The color palette is bright but also kind of scratchy and dark. You get the feeling that Wiener might have been working through some intense feelings while he was making this. The figure in the center is crouched down, like some kind of weird circus performer. I wonder if Wiener identified with this figure, the way he is off balance and bending over backwards? And then there’s that yellow sun, radiating in the background, like a lightbulb about to burst. All these things together create this image that's both playful and disturbing. What I see is a realness. I see myself, actually.