IMAGE:24 2019

Editor: Here we have Thomas Riesner's "IMAGE:24," a drawing from 2019 rendered in graphite, pen and ink on paper. There’s a haunting quality to it; the linework is so raw and the figure seems caught between cartoon and something more unsettling. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The power lies in its immediacy, doesn’t it? Look at the bold lines, the deliberate imperfections. To me, it feels like a modern-day take on ancient ritual masks – think about how cultures have historically used distortions of the face to access something beyond the everyday. Does that resonate with you? Editor: Absolutely! It feels like it's tapping into something primal. The lines around the mouth almost seem like glyphs or some form of symbolic writing. Curator: Exactly. What meaning could it have for the viewer? Is it a plea? A warning? Consider the enduring power of the face in art, across millennia and cultures. It’s a mirror reflecting our deepest fears and desires, wouldn't you agree? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way, but that makes a lot of sense. The eyes are especially arresting—they hold so much expression despite the sketch-like quality. Curator: They do, don't they? It’s a potent reminder that even in the simplest of forms, art can carry immense emotional and cultural weight. It reminds me of the Expressionists, probing the inner self through a stripped-down visual language. Editor: It's interesting how it combines such a contemporary, almost comic book style with something so deeply rooted in human history. I'll definitely be looking at it differently now. Curator: It’s a powerful juxtaposition, one that invites us to consider the enduring power of symbols, and how they evolve across time. A fascinating piece, isn’t it?