Trevelfast 2004

Editor: We’re looking at Daniel Richter’s "Trevelfast" from 2004, an acrylic painting that definitely leans into abstract expressionism. There's a chaotic, almost violent energy to the brushstrokes, and yet, the composition hints at a landscape. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a painting that grapples with the legacies of both expressionism and abstraction while engaging with contemporary anxieties. Richter, coming of age in a politically charged era, often infuses his work with a sense of unease. Do you notice the tension between figuration and abstraction? Editor: Definitely. It’s like figures and landscapes are emerging from and dissolving back into the abstract field of colour. The darkness gives the scene a heavy feel. Curator: Exactly. That push and pull, that slippage, is key. Consider the historical context: Richter began painting abstractly but later reintroduced figuration. Why do you think an artist might make that move, especially given the dominance of abstraction in the art world for so long? What political or social statement could be expressed? Editor: Perhaps he felt abstraction alone wasn’t enough to capture the complexities, or even the horrors, of the contemporary world? Maybe he was trying to create an opportunity to represent these in a more powerful and critical way? Curator: Precisely. Richter’s return to figuration could be read as an attempt to reclaim the power of representation, to engage with specific issues around power and violence that might be lost in pure abstraction. It is an acknowledgement of the artist's role as a critic in contemporary society. Editor: That makes the unsettling feeling of the piece even more palpable. I see it now as less of a chaotic landscape and more like a battle scene that just happened to emerge out of abstraction. Curator: I'm glad you made that connection. It gives me chills. Thank you.