Untitled 1976

This untitled mixed media collage was made in 1976 by Hannelore Baron using paper and fabric. Baron wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty, and you can really see that in the materials she chooses and how she puts them together. The surface has this beautiful distressed quality, with layers of different fabrics, papers, and markings. Some are carefully placed, others look torn or stained. It’s not about perfection, but about the beauty of imperfection. Take for instance, the slim, dark figure in the center of the piece. It feels fragile and vulnerable, yet it's also anchored by the layers of texture and color around it. All these elements create a powerful emotional charge. I see in her work something of Kurt Schwitters, but Baron’s particular visual language is very much her own. Ultimately, it's a language of feeling, of making something beautiful out of fragments and remnants.