Foltern 2019

Curator: Thomas Riesner's drawing, "Foltern," created in 2019, presents a rather unsettling image. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Stark and raw. The red and black ink on the bright white ground certainly evokes a primal feeling. I'm immediately drawn to the dripping ink, like fresh blood or viscera against the stark grid-like bodies. What was the artist's process like, do we know? Curator: Indeed, the tension is palpable. Let's examine the composition. We have two roughly rectangular figures constructed of meticulous ink linework. The repetitive, grid-like structure lends a certain order, but it's constantly undermined by the irregular, almost frantic strokes. Editor: And those stark differences in mark-making clearly delineate zones within each figure. Note the stark eyes and crude teeth filled in solid black. How does this labor differ between different artists who share these interests? Curator: I suspect Riesner’s engagement with the grid signifies something more than mere containment. It establishes a conceptual framework—a visual metaphor perhaps, for restriction and entrapment, while the organic drips are attempts at escaping that system. The high contrast of the red further escalates feelings of horror. Editor: That makes sense, particularly when you consider the cultural associations with mark-making; what at first seems raw and impulsive reveals careful intention. Think of the performative element, the durational labor involved in laying down all those individual marks, not just a finished visual object. It's a fascinating study in balancing control and chaos through relatively accessible methods. Curator: A potent reminder that form and feeling are intertwined, wouldn’t you agree? A visceral response, elegantly structured. Editor: Definitely. And an impressive example of how, through intentional production, material realities reflect both constraints and boundless creativity.