Untitled 1938

Editor: This is an Untitled photomontage by György Kepes, created in 1938. The sheer scale and repetition make me feel a bit overwhelmed, almost as if I’m getting lost in a crowd. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Focusing on the intrinsic pictorial language of Kepes, the superimposition of a hand-shaped void filled with multitudes of people constructs an unnerving semiotic discourse. The dramatic tonal range is key here: stark contrasts between light and shadow create tension. How does this tension inform the construction of the image? Editor: Well, it gives a very graphic quality to the image, separating the masses of people from the darker space around them, really emphasizing the shape. It almost flattens the space. Is the geometric interplay just a visual technique, or is it making an argument? Curator: Consider the era. This photomontage emerged in the late 1930s amid the rise of totalitarianism. Formally, the stark geometry imposed upon the anonymous masses points towards the aesthetics of power. Do you see the hand then as a controlling or shaping force? Editor: Absolutely. I hadn't thought about it quite so directly. The dark mass almost appears to consume the light form, implying themes of authority or societal pressure. Curator: Precisely. And what effect do you think the geometric framework of the void containing the multitudes have on you now, observing from a future perspective? Editor: Seeing how abstract the form is combined with the figures creates something strangely impactful in this way. The visual composition leaves room for us to interpret and learn about ourselves by seeing the past. Curator: Yes. The modernist reduction in photographic image invites the audience to construct their interpretation based on the structural framework proposed. I would add only that your sensitivity to the interplay between space and geometric mass gives an especially keen insight into the effects.