De "gewone" mensch, niet de "normale" 1923

Editor: This is Erich Wichmann's 1923 graphite drawing, "De 'gewone' mensch, niet de 'normale'". The title translates to “The ‘ordinary’ human, not the ‘normal’ one.” There's an unsettling directness to this portrait that really draws you in. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Indeed, its immediacy is striking. Let us consider its formal elements. The heavily worked graphite creates a surface of considerable tonal variation. Note how the artist exploits the medium’s capacity for blending and smudging to evoke a sense of interiority. Observe also how the asymmetry of the features contributes to the sense of unease. Editor: So you are drawn to the execution rather than, say, the message of the drawing? Curator: The two are inextricable. How might we understand the significance of the title in relation to the work’s formal characteristics? The artist juxtaposes "ordinary" with "normal," challenging conventional standards of beauty and representation. Consider the visible strokes. What is their expressive effect? Editor: The strokes are rough and raw; not meant to be beautiful, but evocative and thought-provoking. Is that what you mean? Curator: Precisely. Wichmann appears to use the language of expressionism to visually amplify inner turmoil. What this reveals may be more significant than simply what it represents. The form, my dear, reveals the intention. Editor: That’s so interesting. I guess I was viewing it more from a personal level. Curator: I trust your view has been broadened?