Kasperltheater 1907

Hans Kalmsteiner made this little image called Kasperltheater – that means Punch and Judy Show – with ink on paper. I love the way the image is constructed, almost like a collage, with flat shapes bumping up against each other. Look at the way the colors are laid down – quite thin, with a slightly mottled texture. You can see the grain of the paper coming through, like the image is breathing. Then, there’s the framing device, all those cute little triangles, which give it a kind of folksy, handmade vibe. My eye is drawn to the bottle at the bottom, with the word "Bitte" on it – German for "Please." It’s like a little plea, or maybe a hint of what’s to come. Kalmsteiner reminds me a little of folks like Alfred Jarry, who embraced absurdity and dark humor in their work. Art’s not about answers, right? It’s about questions, feelings, and the joy of not quite knowing.