Untitled (Square 2) 2003

Curator: Sigmar Polke’s "Untitled (Square 2)" presents us with a large canvas, nearly two meters high, a provocative blend of figuration and abstraction. What strikes you initially? Editor: A sense of haunting—it feels like fragmented memories layered upon one another, the statue and wing motif adding to a sense of ancient grandeur, now decayed. Curator: Polke, known for his experimental approach, often incorporated mass-produced imagery into his work. The Ben-Day dots, for example, mimic newspaper printing, questioning the aura of originality. Editor: And those golden drips disrupt the printed images, adding an element of chaos and perhaps hinting at alchemical transformation. Are these symbols a reflection on art history itself? Curator: Possibly. Polke was deeply engaged with the socio-political landscape, and his art reflects that engagement through the lens of postwar German identity and the pervasive influence of media. Editor: It's as though Polke is asking us to consider the weight of history and how we filter it through our own subjective experiences, wouldn't you say? Curator: Precisely. It's a potent reminder of the constructed nature of images and the stories they tell. Editor: A thoughtful commentary.