Untitled 

Wols, also known as Alfred Otto Wolfgang Schulze, made this painting using oil paint and scratching techniques. The material qualities of the paint are evident here. Thick impasto creates texture, while thin washes allow for transparency and layering. The scratching technique further emphasizes the materiality, revealing underlying layers and creating a sense of depth and history. It looks like there's a whole process of building and taking away, almost like an archeological dig on a very small scale. The network of lines, crude marks, and abstract forms evoke a sense of chaos and fragmentation. Despite the apparent spontaneity, the artwork is clearly the result of deliberate, skillful techniques. The combination of materials and marks is important in understanding the full meaning of the artwork, because it challenges our traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.