Mobile II 2013

Eckart Hahn made "Mobile II" using oil on canvas, and we might consider it as a commentary on the state of the art world. Hahn is a contemporary German artist who uses surrealism to explore themes of nature, culture, and artifice. In "Mobile II," we see a tree, half gilded in gold leaf, with a woodpecker perched on one of its branches. The gold might represent the commercialization of nature, where even the most natural elements are commodified and turned into objects of luxury and desire. The woodpecker, a symbol of persistence and hard work, is pecking at a red disc that hangs from the tree, perhaps suggesting the artist's own struggle to create meaningful work in a world dominated by market forces. Note the spots of red that could be interpreted as blood... To fully understand Hahn's work, we might look at the history of surrealism and its relationship to social critique and institutional analysis, as well as the more recent history of contemporary art and the increasing pressure on artists to produce commercially viable work. Ultimately, the meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.