Interieur und Exterieur 1983

Siegfried Zademack created this rather theatrical tableau, Interieur und Exterieur, with oil paint, and, oh boy, what a trip it is. Imagine Zademack, brush in hand, coaxing these spectral figures into existence, one draped in a vibrant red, the other in a cool green, standing either side of a chess table. Then that baguette-like see-saw balancing above the chess board. Is it a symbol, a joke, or just a playful arrangement of forms? The paint is applied smoothly here, creating a dreamlike realism, but beneath the surface, there’s something deliciously unsettling going on. This painting reminds me a little of Magritte, perhaps, in its juxtaposition of odd elements, but there's a darkness there all of its own. Artists are always in conversation, borrowing, and riffing off one another, and that's what makes art so exciting. They encourage us to embrace ambiguity and uncertainty, and to open ourselves up to endless possibilities.