Untitled (Incised Plaster) 1950

Curator: This is Hermann Glöckner’s “Untitled (Incised Plaster),” a relief sculpture in the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: My first impression is the austere, almost brutal simplicity, emphasized by the raw texture of the plaster and the geometric forms. Curator: Absolutely. The incised lines create a visual rhythm, a dialogue between positive and negative space that structures the entire composition. Editor: And consider the labor involved. The repetitive, almost meditative act of carving. There's a tension between the industrial nature of plaster and the handcrafted quality of the incised marks. Curator: I see that tension as contributing to its power. These forms, almost hieroglyphic, demand a careful visual reading to decipher their meaning and their relationship to one another. Editor: For me, it’s the way the material betrays the hand of the maker. You can see the subtle variations in depth and texture. Curator: A potent combination of form and matter. Editor: Indeed, a really intriguing object when you consider the means and the final effect.