Matthias Wischer (b. 1973, Germany)
St Ludgerus, 2004

This one is also pertinent to my work on ambiguation. Here it is on the level of mixed styles in something that may seem quite coherent at the first sight. Some objects in the motif are depicted in line with perspectival painting (e.g. sofas, table) – and some are just flat (the side table lamp). The window that does not offer any outlook – or are those just shades? The light source is rather unclear considering mixed directions of the shadows etc. Examination of this painting helps me to articulate various strategies for how to create productive incoherence and reveal sense-making patterns. There is something exciting in how we may be able to “fill in the blanks” or fake coherence when provided fragmentary and/or contradictory information – and how impression of credibility can shift upon closer examination. Who is it who “fooled” us – the artists or we ourselves? How did it happen? What does it say about credibility of our knowledge and our perception?