Figures 

Curator: Walter Battiss’ painting, "Figures," uses acrylic paint to portray a vibrant crowd of stylized human forms. Editor: The density of these figures, all outlined in blue against the pale background, creates this restless energy. It’s visually overwhelming. Is it a celebration, a protest, or something else entirely? Curator: Knowing Battiss, he was probably interested in evoking something primitive. He drew inspiration from indigenous art and rock paintings in Southern Africa. He synthesized all that into his vision. Editor: So these repeated, stylized figures are like a modern interpretation of ancient markings. Is it a commentary on society? A kind of group portrait across time? Curator: Possibly. The simplification is key. By stripping the figures down to their basic forms, he distills a sense of universal humanity, transcending cultural boundaries, echoing tribal artistic endeavors across continents. Editor: That emphasis on form brings in mind Modernist artists, the kind who also looked at what they termed 'primitive' cultures for inspiration. Is Battiss in dialogue with European Modernism here, then? Curator: Exactly. There is this constant re-interpreting going on. His fascination with the ancient merges with a very modern art approach. The use of repetition hints towards an exploration of shared, primal energies. Editor: It seems fitting. The way the blue outlines blend together makes the figures blur and become one anonymous whole. I get the idea of individuals as one body—a crowd losing their selfhood. Curator: Perhaps not losing, but transforming. Individual identity dissolving into a communal experience. Think of festivals, rites. Art history teaches us there has been art made in large gatherings throughout time. Editor: So this isn’t necessarily a loss of self, but a shifting of self to collective. What is interesting about that perspective, and also relevant, is thinking of today's political movements and online life. Curator: Absolutely, our digital echo chambers can sometimes feel eerily like this - individuality blurred amidst a crowd. Battiss managed to create a timeless image of a group, but in modern style. Editor: Well, Battiss presents us with a crowd as a subject, both fascinating and more than a little unsettling. Curator: His choice of a traditional topic presented in a completely individual style allows for us to consider new possibilities, where we as individuals are at once one, yet unique.