Demut 2015

Siegfried Zademack made this painting, "Demut," with oils, though I don't know exactly when. It’s a scene bathed in the cool light of a full moon, which makes everything feel a little surreal, a little off-kilter. Look at the way the artist layered the paint to create that moon, almost like a huge thumbprint swirling and cratered. Then there's the figure, draped in white, clinging to the tree. The paint here is smoother, more deliberate, giving the figure a ghostly, ethereal presence. It's all about contrast - the rough texture of the moon against the smooth fabric, the sharp division between light and shadow. The way the figure embraces the tree evokes vulnerability. It reminds me a little of Caspar David Friedrich, but with a dose of something more inward, more psychological. Like Friedrich, Zademack understands that ambiguity is where the real juice is.