Grave Digger Medal (Kienast 273) 1920

This medal, Grave Digger Medal (Kienast 273), was made by Karl Goetz. It's got this bronze monochrome thing going on that feels heavy, serious. The texture on this piece, it's all about digging, literally. You can see the marks of the tool, the heave of the earth. The guy’s face, a mask of grim labor, and the skull he unearths, it’s all about this cycle, right? Like, what are we building and what are we burying? It's like Goetz is saying, "Hey, let's not forget what goes into this so-called progress.” You see that bit where the shovel is digging into the soil? The way it's digging, it's so physical, you can almost feel the resistance of the earth. I'm thinking of Käthe Kollwitz who had a similar no-nonsense way of staring down the darkness, always keeping it real. Art like this doesn't give you easy answers, it just makes you keep asking the questions.