755A Island of Lost Desire 1977

Editor: Here we have Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s "755A Island of Lost Desire," a print from 1977, incorporating watercolor and ink line work. It feels a little melancholic to me, with the patterned cloth and that lone plate. What jumps out at you? Curator: It's an island of the soul, perhaps? The “desire” that's lost might be that clean division between nature and our interiors, our longings. See how the tree is *both* inside and out? The table and chair…they seem less important than the spirit of the tree dominating the scene, wouldn't you agree? Are we merely observers *inside* the picture, or inhabitants of the island ourselves? Editor: I never considered that we're *in* the picture! That's amazing. The table, maybe it's not about the objects on it, but the act of setting a stage...for reflection? Curator: Exactly! Hundertwasser, bless his rebellious heart, loathed the straight line, sterile architecture. For him, nature was our true home and, perhaps, a touch of lost joy can be found there. This 'island' reminds me of a dream space...where you are both there *and* somewhere else, existing *as* the viewer and yet beyond what's shown. A conversation of seeing...a dance of line and time. What will we do with it? Editor: That’s given me so much to think about! It's no longer just a table and tree. It's…an invitation. Curator: An island to make our own, I suspect. I wonder how many desires will get lost on it, though, hm?