Hauptplatz Linz 2021

Editor: This is "Hauptplatz Linz," an oil painting on what looks like canvas, by Gazmend Freitag, from 2021. The thick, almost sculpted paint gives the scene a sense of immediacy. What's particularly interesting is the contrast between the fleeting moment captured and the permanence suggested by the materials. How do you read this work, considering its medium and subject? Curator: Considering the artist is working en plein air with oil paints to depict a contemporary cityscape, it speaks to a continuation of art historical traditions even in the 21st century. The materiality here is important. Oil paint, historically a medium of the elite, is used to document a public space, a site accessible to everyone, depicting everyday figures who are consumers or vendors. Do you see how this juxtaposition raises questions about the relationship between the materials used and the scene they depict? Editor: Yes, it makes me think about how even a traditional medium like oil paint can be used to capture modern life and street art. The impasto technique makes the surfaces of the painting quite tactile. Is it then about democratizing the technique in a way, shifting it from depictions of royalty to those in everyday settings and lives? Curator: Precisely! It’s about labor too. Consider the labor of the artist, working in situ to capture the scene and the manual process involved, which democratizes a certain skill. Freitag isn't just presenting the scene but implicating himself in its creation. What are your thoughts about how he’s presenting this urban space for our consumption? Editor: I think understanding the artistic process really shifts how I view the final product. It makes you consider not only what is painted but also *how* and *why* it was painted that way. It adds another layer of appreciation, connecting art history to present-day realities through materiality and methods. Curator: Exactly. Examining the materials and method of production can give insights to understand social commentary behind art!