Untitled 

Editor: Here we have an "Untitled" oil painting, thought to be by Zdzislaw Beksinski. The scene has a really ominous feeling, but I'm captivated by this massive architectural form in the background. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: The pronounced geometry against the amorphous forms provides an immediate visual tension. The solidity of the primary structure is thrown into relief by the delicate handling of light, the dispersal of forms in the sky and this rugged rockface. Editor: So it's the contrasts within the visual language that create impact? Curator: Precisely. Notice how the artist deploys a restricted tonal range; primarily browns, ochres, and creams. This lends the work a spectral quality. It allows the central building to act as a key structural element, and draws one's attention through to the door opening and beyond. The materiality, the paint itself, possesses equal weight within the work. How does the artist utilize space and form? Editor: I see what you mean. It's like the form has mass but also feels light. There are some repeated forms, particularly these floating geometric rock-like shapes in the air that echo those on the land. The structure and rocky form look almost the same, with very limited detail. Curator: Yes, exactly! Through his compositional choices, Beksinski deliberately flattens the picture plane, pushing the foreground, middle ground and background into very close proximity to one another. Beksinski encourages us to consider that these distinct areas share characteristics, they are one and the same. Editor: This has been a helpful insight. Thinking about the spatial relationships and geometric properties opens up many interesting possibilities. Curator: Indeed, this kind of formal analysis illuminates the picture plane and prompts further enquiry.