König David 2009

Editor: This stained glass window, "König David," created by Sigmar Polke in 2009, presents a very unusual figure, fragmented, almost pixilated. It has a fractured feeling. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: For me, it's critical to consider the materials. Polke’s use of glass, an ancient medium associated with religious institutions, is intriguing. Then, there is this odd application and technique, which feels so much like silkscreen printing on canvas. How do these traditional techniques affect how we view it in terms of "high" art versus craft? Editor: That's interesting. It makes me think about how the context of viewing art shapes our perspective and expectations. Polke seems to intentionally blur the lines of tradition, labor, and class in "art" with the means of producing it and of accessing "art." Curator: Precisely. And think about the social context. By employing glass and then breaking apart and recomposing the image, how do those choices influence the understanding of a biblical king like David, who was himself a disruptor of tradition? Also, can we analyze the choice of green color in the context of 2009: how does this shade contribute to or challenge traditional associations of stained glass with, for example, the French churches in the medieval era? Editor: I never would have considered the green within that timeline! Curator: It's a reminder of how artistic expression constantly responds to and reshapes the material and social landscape. How perceptions of “craft” itself shifted with industrialization, mass media and the artist's role as worker is important, and how he plays with that. Editor: Right. Now I can't unsee how much it focuses our attention to its material processes. Thanks for offering your thoughts about the window and what I should be paying attention to in evaluating its construction.