Muntean / Rosenblum Untitled [Everything was as it had been a minute ago…], 2001 [painting]

There is a sense of awkwardness within the poses that the three characters are in, and reading the text below implies this awkwardness was intended.

Two out of three of the characters are looking directly at the viewer – as though we are onlookers, unwelcome in the environment. The overall feeling from this painting is that something unwelcome has just happened, whether its a secret becoming known or an unwanted act, and suddenly the fourth character (the viewer) has walked in, unannounced, and created the suspension that the text describes.

When discussing the exhibition that this image belongs to, Rosenblum says, ‘We are fascinated by, and investigate, how far you can go with the construction of the gesture of the figure. Because, we think the more artificial it gets, the more moving it is, even though, in the normal sense it is the natural that is the thing that moves you’.
This passage represents the image because the male character is squatting on the floor in an odd manner, representing Rosenblum and Muntean’s approach towards artificial stances. This adds more to the awkwardness in the painting because the context is now known that the artist’s were pushing the boundaries about what is relatable, and not only do the positions of the characters reflect this, also the viewer is the forth character adds a strong relatable aspect to the painting.

Bibliography:
Rosenblum quote: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/art-now-munteanrosenblum