Untitled 2019

Editor: This intriguing acrylic painting on canvas from 2019 is simply titled "Untitled" by Thomas Riesner. I find the figures somewhat unsettling with the rawness of the execution adding to the unsettling mood, despite the floral background. What’s your take? Curator: Indeed. I'm particularly interested in the cultural moment this piece inhabits. We see a clear grotesque figuration, and it’s rendered with the vocabulary of abstract painting. What socio-political conversations do you think Riesner is participating in with this piece? Are these figures victims or aggressors, or neither? Editor: That's a good question! I hadn't really thought of them in relation to current events, but maybe the somewhat distorted anatomy speaks to the anxieties of contemporary society? Do you think the institutional context – that is, where it’s displayed and viewed – affects its interpretation? Curator: Absolutely. How different is our experience of this image in a gallery versus seeing it online, devoid of physical scale? Consider the art market as well; how does pricing affect our view of art and influence both art creation and viewership? Think, too, of works like Picasso's *Guernica*. Are there visual cues here connecting to themes of displacement? Editor: Wow, that’s a lot to think about! So, considering its historical context and the setting in which it’s being viewed, what does that mean for how we perceive it today? Curator: I see it as a reflection of anxieties – social, economic, personal – expressed through the body. By placing these somewhat grotesque figures against a domestic-seeming floral background, it raises questions about what "safe spaces" truly mean today. The institutional forces that influence display directly impact how widely that question circulates, too. Editor: This has really broadened my understanding. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! Analyzing art isn’t just about the aesthetic but how it engages with culture. It's about asking *why* this imagery resonates, or perhaps, unsettles.