Swing Head 2019

Siegfried Zademack’s painting presents these two figures in a warm, dark space. They look like automatons playing out some kind of existential drama with red rocking horses and head-shaped targets. I’m always drawn to the texture of things; the way Zademack renders these figures is so smooth and strange. It reminds me of Jan van Eyck! I wonder, what was he thinking? What kind of world does he want to bring into being with this piece? Does he want the viewer to pity this lonely, tragic character? The muted color palette is so interesting, like he's looking back to the old masters. I like to imagine artists in dialogue with those that came before them. The piece has a timeless feel. Like he’s asking, what does it mean to be human? How can painting pose these questions?