Sonjuschka’s Dance 2015

Editor: Here we have Gazmend Freitag's "Sonjuschka's Dance," an oil painting from 2015. The bold, almost Fauvist colors give it such a vibrant energy, but the brushstrokes seem almost rushed, raw. What do you make of it? Curator: I see a fascinating interplay of material and meaning here. The artist’s choice of oil paint – its inherent viscosity and drying time – directly influences the gestural quality of the work. How does the seeming urgency in application speak to a broader engagement with labor? The artist could be making a point by embracing what might otherwise seem as flaws in technique. Editor: I hadn't thought about the 'rushed' feel as a choice, more as… maybe a lack of refinement? So you're suggesting it could be commenting on the act of painting itself, as work? Curator: Precisely. Consider, too, the subject – a dancer. What is her social context? The materiality of her adornments - the implied value, but clear simplicity. It pushes us to question conventional art boundaries, demanding attention be paid to the materiality and consumption involved in depicting Sonjuschka and her dance, her red garment serving as an almost violent flash. Editor: That's so interesting. So, by drawing attention to the actual materials and process, the artist shifts the focus away from just the image of the dancer… Curator: …And towards the socio-economic and cultural factors underpinning both its creation and our perception of it, asking the viewer to reconsider the high art, low art dialectic when assessing what can be seen to be Expressionist in its execution. What we may term amateur we might also, upon further examination, decide has its own distinct sophistication and meaning. Editor: I definitely have a new appreciation for this piece. It's not just a pretty picture; it's a conversation about art-making itself. Curator: Indeed, and that awareness, itself, is part of the artist's material engagement and social challenge.