Self-Portrait as Jealous Tiger 1973

Curator: Dieter Roth's "Self-Portrait as Jealous Tiger," housed at the Tate, immediately strikes me as playful yet structurally rigorous. Editor: I find its raw, almost graphic quality quite striking. The bold colors and simplified forms give it a rather unsettling, unsettling feel. Curator: The lithographic process allows for distinct color separation and precise lines, emphasizing the graphic elements. Roth disrupts the conventional portrait by abstracting his features into a tiger-like form. Editor: It's fascinating how he uses those materials, the lithography allowing for flat areas of vibrant color alongside handwritten annotations that add a layer of self-awareness. It also feels immediate and unfiltered. Curator: The semiotics of the tiger—representing jealousy, power, and perhaps even primal instincts—adds another layer to the interpretation of the self. Editor: It’s really the artist's hand so clearly visible that is remarkable to me; the labor and the immediacy of the production are a compelling aspect of the work. Curator: Indeed, both Roth's formal approach and underlying emotion make the work quite memorable. Editor: Ultimately, I feel it is a compelling record of the artist's process and perspective.