Snow, Sunshine, Rain 1957

Editor: Heinz Koppel's "Snow, Sunshine, Rain" presents these distinct panels, joined, each suggesting a different weather condition. I’m struck by the visible brushstrokes and the almost haphazard way the scenes are pieced together. What’s your take on it? Curator: The materiality is key. Koppel’s rough application of paint disrupts any illusion of seamless representation. Instead, we are confronted with the very labor of its making. Note how the depicted subjects – weather, travel – speak to movement and change, mirroring the artist's own experience as a refugee. Editor: So, the visible process tells a story beyond the image itself. Curator: Precisely. The apparent naivety of style shouldn't distract us from considering the complex conditions of production and the social context it reflects. Editor: I hadn’t considered how the painting's construction relates to the artist's biography. Thanks for pointing that out!