IMAGE:30 2019

Editor: Here we have Thomas Riesner's mixed-media painting, "IMAGE:30," created in 2019. It's… chaotic. My eye is drawn to the central black shape, but I'm struggling to find a clear focal point within the broader composition. It looks like a mandala of figures, framed within an expressionistic border. As a formal analysis, what strikes you first about this painting? Curator: The tension between the ordered geometry implied by the radiating lines and the organic, almost violent, application of paint is certainly striking. Notice how the artist employs a limited palette – predominantly reds, browns, and black – to create a sense of dynamism. Do you observe any relationships in the forms employed? Editor: I see the figures are somewhat childlike, or cartoonish. And the circular composition is tight. Do you mean the relationship between the figures and the ground? Curator: Indeed. The ambiguity of figure-ground relationships generates considerable visual interest. Figures seemingly emerge from and recede back into the background. What is the role of that heavy black line surrounding it all? Editor: It feels like it traps the forms and color. Like an enclosed ecosystem, maybe? So the interaction of these elements - line, color, and ambiguous forms - is crucial to the overall experience. Curator: Precisely. The artist orchestrates these elements to construct a complex, self-contained visual system. Each formal decision informs and amplifies the others. A close examination allows us to recognize it is more than just the representation of an environment. Editor: I see. Looking at the interplay of those design elements makes this more than just caricature or figuration. It becomes this experience where the balance of elements creates visual interest within the work. Thank you, I understand the artist's method more clearly now!