Karant 5.7.1957 1957

Karl Otto Götz made this painting, Karant 5.7.1957, sometime in the middle of the last century, presumably with paint and brushes. It’s all swooshing black marks on a pale ground, like a storm cloud captured in a bottle. I imagine the painting coming into being through a process of trial and error. What was Götz thinking when he made it? Maybe something like: how can a simple mark be both forceful and delicate? Or, how can a painting capture movement? The paint looks quite thin here, almost watery, and that lets it flow easily across the surface. See how the brushstrokes swirl and loop around each other? It’s as if Götz was trying to create a sense of depth and movement with just a few simple gestures. These kinds of questions and techniques connect Götz to other painters. They’re all in conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another's creativity. Painting is this embodied expression which embraces uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.