Minensucher
 

The painting, Minesweeper (Minensucher), is not directly a part of this series. But it takes up two of the elements encountered in the Presseshow prints. The soldier, with the mine detector, is confronted by the little girl, with the toy duck that forms the outer end of  her stick or pole. The girl seems to be in her house, surrounded by light if not warm colors. The soldier appears as if out of the night, as if on her doorsteps, ready to enter her reality. What is he bringing? War? Death? Destruction?
 

Although Ute Haring at times introduces expressionist stylistic elements remindful of Kaethe Kollwitz, she clearly transcends this formal repertoire. The fact that she superimposes colored prints over black and white prints enriches the image structure, as does the fact that the colored elements break up the illusory 'space' of the black and white images.

Her critical gesture is clearly recognizable. But despite the stark force of some symbols (like the figure of death whose terror is enhanced by the look back in angst not anger of the companions), or the intelligent strategy of contrasting colored against black and white image space in order to let us discover what is officially shown and what is censored, her method is never manipulative. Rather, she is supplying the audience with a chance to discover, to arrive at insights of their own making. And to discover the aesthetic quality of her astonishingly vital and differentiated work.
 
 

(Jan. 2007)
 
 
 

            go to ART IN SOCIETY # 5  (CONTENTS)
 
 
 
 
 

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