Das nie gelesene Buch c. 1923

Karl Wiener made this artwork, *Das nie gelesene Buch,* with ink and watercolor. Look closely, you can see the hand of the artist, the physical process of artmaking. I really love the texture and the way the blue watercolor bleeds out to the edge of the frame, it almost gives an impression of a cyanotype. The yellow wash feels very subtle, barely kissing the page. The pen marks are very precise, and deliberate. Note the sharp lines that build a sense of volume. The marks feel methodical, and yet the outcome is somewhat surreal, as if the book is a metaphor. The image is a quiet, intimate piece. It reminds me of something Morandi would have made. This work embraces a kind of ambiguity and multiple interpretations, which is very much an ongoing conversation in art.