re*vision by Caterina Bodrogi, Jonas Gerlich and Jasmin Kugel on Otto Mueller, Two Girls in the Forest, 1923
How do we perceive?
Otto Mueller’s “Two Girls in the Forest” depicts a seemingly idyllic natural scene.
But who is looking at whom here? And with what gaze?
Mueller’s works are characterised by the search for the “natural” [1] – an idea that is still romanticised today. His motifs often show young, androgynous women, with his models almost exclusively representing his companions during this period of his life. [2]
Behind his impressive, soft lines and calm composition, questions arise in today’s context that we must ask ourselves anew:
How do such representations influence our image of femininity?
What role does the male gaze play in art history?
When does nudity become staging, an object of contemplation?
And how do we deal with a cultural heritage that has helped shape our view of the body, gender and identity?
Mueller’s depictions of women followed their own aesthetic. Today, we recognise that such images cannot be viewed in isolation from social power relations.
“His depictions of the female body polarise opinion. […] From the coveted, sexualised object to the portrait of a modern, strong woman. […] They oscillate between sexism and emancipation, leaving plenty of room for interpretation, discussion and imagination. ” [3]
So how should we deal with art when society has changed?
Must we reject it, or can we interpret it differently?
Perhaps the answer lies not in rejection, but in questioning – in conscious perception.
The re*vision was written by the student group in the seminar “Intersectional Cultural Work” (taught by Nur Bakkar, Winter Semester 2024/25) – in cooperation between the Kunsthalle Karlsruhe (supervised by Isabel Dotzauer) and the Master’s program in Cultural Mediation at the University of Education Karlsruhe.*
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)