Zwei Akte Im Freien 1923

Curator: Hmm, it gives me a sense of quiet defiance. Something in the rawness of the line work. Editor: Indeed. What we're looking at here is Otto Mueller's "Zwei Akte Im Freien", Two Nudes Outdoors, from 1923. It's currently held in the Albertina in Vienna. He’s working with pastels and pencil to create this image. Curator: Pastels, yes! That explains the dreamy haze around everything. See how the figures almost melt into the background? There's a sadness in their stillness, a loneliness maybe, even though they are together. It's very Otto Mueller, the whole scene. Editor: Agreed. Looking at it from the perspective of its materiality, you see the textured grain of the paper comes through those layers of pastel, which is vital. Mueller's "Two Nudes Outdoors" becomes almost tactile, as if one could brush the pastel dust right off. These weren't precious materials. Curator: Definitely not precious! He probably loved that earthy quality of pastel; the directness of the medium must've spoken to him. I think it gave his work a sense of authenticity. A raw simplicity of truth unvarnished! Editor: He chose the tools that offered that. Beyond that, there's the German Expressionist focus, even through the chosen medium. Curator: It's funny, isn’t it? This push for primal emotion, the exploration of the nude, through such controlled lines of execution, so prevalent to this movement! Editor: Exactly. Here, look at the composition; figures amongst branches of trees. Landscape became a vessel to challenge society through this exploration of human form in nature. What tools allow one the ultimate freedom? The medium became the message. Curator: I am fond of the shadows created through dark strokes that frame those lovely female bodies. What message is found through embracing simplicity and a life in nature... maybe even contentment with nudity? Editor: It really showcases his masterful handling of very simple, base materials. Curator: I suppose you’re right. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? How much our message relies on the material we use to shout. Editor: Precisely. The physical making impacts our consumption greatly.