IMAGE:22 2019

This small black and white etching by Thomas Riesner involves a network of fine lines, scratches, and textures that emerge from the metal plate. The image flickers between figuration and abstraction. It seems to emerge, shift, and settle into an uneasy balance. The artist is present in the image. What was Riesner thinking as he scratched into that plate? There are figures. They're being watched. The plate has taken the scratches, nicks, and lines and made a site of inquiry for the artist and now for us, the viewers. The thin, spare lines build the figures. They push and pull space, drawing the eye in and around the composition. The wiry, anxious lines vibrate with energy, suggesting movement, tension, or the weight of thought. Riesner and other artists show us that painting is an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time. These conversations inspire artists to explore ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meanings to emerge from their embodied expressions.