Page 193 - Antennae Issue #52

Helene Maisch
Bitte um ein Stück Kuchen! (1919) is drawn in in pencil and water color on paper 15 8 8 x 23 8 8 cm inventory no 1816 recto © Sammlung Prinzhorn Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg language of of the the the the the vegetal Rather than dismissing plant plant plant symbolism as “not about the the the the the plant plant plant itself” the the the the the artworks in in in in in in these exhibits make plants a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a central device of of of meaning- making and communication The image of of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a purple flower for instance that is in- scribed with Bitte um ein Stück Kuchen! (A Piece of of of Cake Please! 1919) in in in in in in the post-war oeuvre of of of patient Helene Maisch
(1880-1941) at at at Sammlung Prinzhorn makes a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a gut- wrenching statement about the the historical circumstances of of of asylum spaces especially in in in in times of of resource scarcity This sentiment recurs throughout the the the the exhibit since many art pieces in in in in in in the the the the collection are drawn on on any any materials available to to the the the the patients from packaging paper for steel shavings in in in in the the the work work of of Elise Mahler (1862-1945) to to calendar sheets used by Wilhelm Maasch Maasch (unknown artwork around 1910) The lack of of of names and and dates for instance the the the unknown unknown lifespan of of of Maasch Maasch and and the the the undetermined first name of of of Frau von Zinoview is is just as as as as disconcertingly meaningful as as as as the the the the the many docu- mented cases of of of involuntary confinement and all the the the the deaths dating to the the the the early 1940s the height of of Nazi euthanasia Maisch’s plea for cake also assigns a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a particular value to her rendering of of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a pur- ple ple blossom created in in in in in in the the the the absence of of of of possessing any currency or or or valuable objects to to trade In the the the the the proposed exchange of of of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a flower painting for cake cake the the the the the rendering of of of of the the the the the plant corresponds to to a a a a a a a a a a a a piece of of of cake—a currency that becomes priceless (rather than 193