Disziplin II 2017

Eckart Hahn made this painting of a gray dog balancing a heavy black circle and a triangle on its feet. I’m imagining Hahn in the studio, turning the canvas around and around as he gets the dog upside down. The yellow background is pretty flat, it makes the dog look like an acrobat on stage. The circle and triangle are weighty and imposing, contrasting with the dog's graceful balancing act. It’s not just about showing skill, but also, there’s something so hilariously absurd about this. He makes this painting with an eye to geometric form, and the rules of surrealism, but I wonder if he even owns a dog. There are echoes of Magritte in the work; you know, a sense of dreamlike illogic. And also echoes of the precision of someone like David Hockney. It’s a conversation across time and different styles, where each artist inspires new ways of seeing and imagining. Ultimately, it’s a playful expression that opens up multiple interpretations.