Schreitende (Striding) 1989

Michael Morgner made this compelling work, 'Schreitende' or 'Striding', with paint and ink. I imagine the making of this piece involved a dynamic process, perhaps starting with washes of ink, followed by decisive strokes of the brush. Look at those strong diagonals rendered in deep blacks and grays—they create such an arresting composition. The white figure feels almost like a ghost, as if caught in a moment of transition, of moving between states. I can feel the artist's hand in these gestures, wrestling with form and feeling. What was he thinking as he made it? Was he trying to capture a sense of movement, or maybe something more internal, more about the struggle of existence itself? The spattering of ink, the stark contrast, it all speaks to a world of uncertainty, of searching. Morgner's work reminds us that painting is an act of discovery, an ongoing dialogue, and a vital form of expression.