Untitled 

Editor: Here we have an Untitled oil painting by Adrian Ghenie. The figure is dissolving right before our eyes, which makes me feel a bit unsettled. How would you interpret this work through a Formalist lens? Curator: Considering its formal properties, the fragmented and distorted rendering of the subject is striking. Note the aggressive brushstrokes and impasto technique. This deliberate deconstruction, focusing on materiality and gesture, becomes the true subject. Editor: So, you’re saying that the subject depicted isn’t really the main focus? Curator: Precisely. The act of painting itself is foregrounded. The push and pull between figuration and abstraction is key. Look at how the artist uses color and form to create a sense of dynamism. Editor: The face *is* almost unrecognizable, but then other areas, like the collar and ear, are quite defined. Curator: Observe the interplay between those defined areas and the more chaotic brushwork. What meaning emerges from this juxtaposition? Is it a commentary on representation itself, a move away from traditional portraiture? Editor: It’s like the artist is revealing the inherent instability of identity. It makes me see portraits differently. Curator: Indeed. Ghenie subverts our expectations, challenging us to look beyond the surface and engage with the underlying structure and concept. Editor: That’s really interesting, I was so focused on *who* the figure was and not how the artist was depicting the figure. Curator: By considering the elements of form - line, color, texture - and their relation, we find new depth within the art object. It invites further readings.