Twee geabstraheerde figuren 1923

Curator: Erich Wichmann's "Twee geabstraheerde figuren," created in 1923, immediately evokes a sense of muted intimacy. What's your initial impression? Editor: Bleakness, definitely. It looks quickly done, probably in graphite, and feels more like an ephemeral study than a resolved artwork. There's writing along the bottom... is that the artist's notation about his process? Curator: Notations, yes, but I think we can dive deeper into the societal influences of the 1920s and Wichmann’s struggle with conventional artistic expectations. Abstraction allowed him to wrestle with personal themes around social fragmentation in the Netherlands at this time. Editor: I agree. The drawing process—the way graphite sits on the surface and is almost scraped away again, speaks to that fractured state and I see in how he builds up and then reduces the graphite, hinting at the weight and the fragility of modern life. Curator: Precisely. And it asks us, "How do we engage with representations of form in an era of immense change?" These aren't mere shapes. They suggest identity in a very particular socio-political climate, even in the artist's markmaking, his almost frenzied application of graphite to capture form Editor: Look at the way one of the figures has a recognizable profile. Even through the smudging, you still understand there’s an intention for likeness, then it is nearly erased... perhaps reflecting changing ideals around identity? Curator: Yes, a radical transformation during an intensely uncertain time. It forces us to ask how artists portray identity when all conventional expectations of art making are in question. Wichmann explores identity, even in absentia, within this broader context. Editor: Ultimately, it's the immediate feeling that interests me. I still struggle with that sense of unfinished labor. Still, I think this gives insight into the artist’s approach to larger themes. Curator: Exactly. It pushes us beyond formal elements and into considering the political and social undertones, enriching our understanding. The piece resonates through our exploration, now.