17099 („Mit Vielen zu leiden ist nicht schwer …“) 1932

This strange little walking man was made by John Elsas, sometime around 1932. It’s cut out and collaged in a really odd way, with almost no depth, like he’s walking in front of a theater flat. I wonder what was going through Elsas's head when he made this? What kind of a person do you think he was? Was he shy or outgoing? Maybe making this was a way for him to communicate when he couldn't find the words. The body’s blue, the legs are pale blue, the hat is a dark burgundy, and the face is painted in black and pink. What does that mean? I find it hard to believe he was only thinking literally about the shapes he was assembling. The angle of that hand—is it a wave or a protest? It is as though Elsas is in conversation with other artists who are trying to figure out how to show feelings and thoughts without being too obvious. This piece feels like a little message in a bottle, tossed out to sea and washing up here for us to find, right now.