[no title] 1995

Editor: This print by Per Kirkeby features dense black lines that suggest a collapsed, or perhaps dissolving, architectural form. What strikes me is the tension between representation and abstraction. How do you read this piece? Curator: Indeed. The stark contrast emphasizes the materiality of the printmaking process. Notice how the artist uses line – thick, gestural, almost violent – to both define and undermine the implied structure. Semiotically, the ruin signifies decay, yet the robust application of ink suggests an enduring power. Editor: It's interesting that you point out the "violence" of the line. It does feel very gestural. Curator: Precisely. The tension arises from the interplay between form and anti-form, between the permanence of architecture and the ephemerality of gesture. It's in this visual discordance that the work achieves its potency. Editor: That tension definitely gives the image its captivating quality. Thanks for elucidating that for me!