Geburt der Pferde-Venus 2017

Curator: Right, let's talk about Siegfried Zademack's 2017 oil painting, "Geburt der Pferde-Venus," or "Birth of the Horse-Venus." It’s quite a striking piece. What’s your first reaction to it? Editor: Haunting, honestly. It’s like Botticelli after a nightmare. That contrast of a perfectly rendered, classical nude figure...with a horse's head, against what looks like a stretched canvas. I am drawn in by the sense of distortion of myth and the animal urges behind civilization's masks. And is that a screw driver near the upper frame of the work? A visual metaphor, perhaps, for artmaking itself? Curator: It certainly evokes disruption. Zademack's work frequently engages with themes of transformation and identity, and you see him drawing on surrealist techniques as well as Realist painting, combining unexpected elements within a recognizable artistic framework. It suggests he’s not only challenging the tradition of the nude, but also exploring our relationship with both beauty and the monstrous. Editor: The canvas element feels really crucial, as well: almost like she is bursting into our reality or being sewn onto the work, maybe speaking to the limitations or confinement imposed upon female representation in art, like the character and her inner wildness have been trapped. It's both vulnerable and incredibly unsettling, and what do you make of the multiple chains? Curator: Those lines, like puppet strings or maybe surgical thread, create an image of imposed constraint but in this scene of birth. It begs the question if societal and political frameworks control us, the character being both birthed from and imporsoned within that frame. The Venus figure becomes an emblem for constraint in this complex picture of historical context and societal expectations. Editor: Exactly. And it makes you consider the artist's intention – are they critiquing, celebrating, or simply observing this birth? Also, on another level, isn’t there something innately theatrical in it too, or perhaps even kinky in an absurd sort of way? Curator: Well, the staging certainly amplifies the surreal elements. It encourages us to question the power dynamics present, within the artwork itself, but also in broader cultural representations. It’s difficult to ignore how historical systems can frame perception, especially considering the neo-expressionist traits he blends within. Editor: So, it’s not just a pretty picture, but an active interrogation of the very act of looking, as if questioning the foundations of what defines beauty and monstrosity—challenging the artifice of creation, wouldn't you agree? Curator: Precisely, and what's remarkable is how Zademack achieves all this using highly traditional materials and techniques. Editor: Agreed. "Geburt der Pferde-Venus" delivers its punch through a fascinating, disturbing alchemy. Curator: A potent reminder that even within established forms, art can deliver cutting critiques and new visions.