Der Morgen c. 1923

Editor: Here we have "Der Morgen," or "The Morning," a watercolor created around 1923 by Karl Wiener. It strikes me as rather stark, even desolate. What’s your take on it? Curator: Indeed. Focusing on formal elements, the artist has segmented the composition into distinct horizontal bands. Notice how Wiener employs a limited, yet vibrant palette of blues, pinks, and purples. These choices do more than depict, they evoke a particular mood. Editor: So the color palette is quite intentional then? Curator: Precisely. Consider the sharp contrast between the rigid, almost geometric shapes in the foreground and the fluidity of the watercolor washes in the sky. What effect does this create for you? Editor: I suppose that juxtaposition of textures could suggest a contrast between the solid, perhaps industrial world and the fleeting, ephemeral nature of the sky. It is as though Wiener created a dream world out of his imagination! Curator: Very astute. Wiener’s "Der Morgen" masterfully blends representational and abstract forms. Look at how the texture and luminosity contribute to a rather ambiguous, non-narrative piece that exists almost solely on the aesthetic plane. What feeling does this invoke? Editor: It gives the painting a very dreamlike quality that sets me at unease! Curator: The painting creates a visual structure that enables these affects to exist; thus revealing much about art’s potential when artists are unbound to representing familiar settings and subject matter! Editor: That is a fantastic way of framing the work, making it all that much more resonant!