Untitled 2019

Here we have an untitled artwork by Thomas Riesner, dimensions 20 by 25 cm, made using what looks like ink and watercolor. The drawing has a raw, immediate quality; it feels like the artist is working through something, searching. I see a figure, maybe a skeleton, but where its stomach should be, there’s a stained field of brown with eyes floating inside it. The lines are shaky and uneven, the wash is messy, almost agitated. It's like Riesner is saying, "Here's the inside, exposed." But it’s not just guts; it’s seeing, perceiving. The eyes in the stomach suggest an awareness, a vulnerability. Are we looking at it, or is it looking back at us? This reminds me of Klee, in that both were able to achieve a complex, affecting, and humorous body of work through a simplification of form. It’s a quick sketch, but it leaves a lasting impression. Art doesn’t always need to be polished to be powerful, sometimes it just needs to be honest.