Abstract painting of figures 

Here we have an abstract painting of figures by Walter Battiss, its date currently unknown. Immediately striking is the artwork’s heavily textured surface achieved through impasto, where thick layers of paint create a tactile, almost sculptural quality. The painting is dominated by blues and browns, interspersed with vibrant pops of red, green, and orange, creating a visually stimulating field. Battiss employs abstraction to depict human figures, challenging traditional representational forms. These are not portraits in the conventional sense, but rather stylized forms suggesting human presence. The use of abstraction here operates as a signifier, inviting viewers to move beyond surface appearances and engage with the underlying structure of form and meaning. Consider how the composition avoids a clear focal point, encouraging the eye to wander across the canvas, exploring the interplay of color and texture. This decentralization of focus can be viewed as a rejection of traditional hierarchical structures in art. It’s a structure that acknowledges that meaning is not fixed but is an ongoing process of interpretation.