Self-portrait in color 1979

Editor: Here we have Arnold Peter Weisz-Kubínčan's "Self-portrait in color," created in 1979, using pencil and watercolor. It feels unfinished, raw almost. What do you make of it? Curator: Look closely at the process itself. The layering of pencil and watercolor isn't about illusion. It's about revealing the labor involved in constructing an image, a self-image in this case. Weisz-Kubínčan isn't hiding the 'how,' is he? Editor: No, the lines are very visible. It's like he's showing us the scaffolding behind the portrait. Does that relate to the social context at all? Curator: Absolutely. Consider 1979. In a socialist state, where art was often expected to serve a clear propagandistic purpose, an introspective self-portrait, especially one emphasizing the process of its making, could be seen as a quiet act of resistance. He is highlighting the individual. What is he using to represent the self? Editor: Well, it's pencil and watercolor, not grand oil paints or bronze sculpture. Curator: Exactly. There’s an inherent demystification at play. The artwork highlights the use of humble, readily available materials which invites a viewer to contemplate the conditions in which he's producing art. Is he using available means? Editor: So it's not just about *him* but about how any individual can create? Curator: Precisely. The materials themselves become democratized, made accessible. It challenges any notion of art as inherently elitist or separate from everyday experience, reflecting back the labor of its own production. Editor: I see it so differently now. It's like he's revealing the mechanics of art making and personal identity. Thanks! Curator: A great close read: thinking critically about art and materials in connection to its time reveals deeper meaning in art, and about artists.