The high beam 1995

Editor: Okay, so here we have "The High Beam," an oil painting by Hanno Karlhuber from 1995. I find the atmosphere incredibly compelling; there's a stillness, but also a sense of forward movement, don't you think? What stands out to you when you look at it? Curator: It is so moody, isn't it? Almost like a dreamscape spun from the everyday. Karlhuber is toying with light and dark, creating this stark contrast that evokes, for me at least, feelings of loneliness, maybe a touch of wonder too, beneath that indigo sky. Look at the composition – a perfectly straight road receding into infinity. Makes you consider ideas such as transition, the journeys we all undertake. What do you make of the sparse details along the sides of the road? Editor: They almost seem a little… artificial? Like props in a play. Do you think that maybe that suggests that it's less about the real destination, and more about where we are right now in our lives? Curator: Precisely! The use of a simple, almost stark, realism against a very dreamlike background serves to remind us of how are existence plays against, and maybe with, what is beyond. The road could represent anything, life choices, experiences; however what really matters is who takes it! Do you feel a kind of connection with it? Does it spark joy in you, even if it is unsettling joy? Editor: I do, in a strange way! It makes me think of late-night drives home, feeling both peaceful and a little bit melancholic, but hopeful, too. Curator: Isn’t that fascinating? How a simple painting can unlock such personal reflections? Art has a peculiar method of revealing our soul; Karlhuber just offers the ignition! Editor: Absolutely! Thanks, that was a fantastic journey!