Biting the Hand That Feeds You

In the glass relief Biting the Hand That Feeds You, Richard Štipl combines historical imagery with a contemporary exploration of the human psyche. A figure surrounded by hands and fragments of other bodies creates a scene poised between reality and dream. The gestures of the individual figures suggest relationships and situations whose meaning remains open to the viewer.

The title refers to an ambivalent relationship with that which supports us while at the same time placing us under obligation. It can be read as a reflection on trust, dependence, gratitude and resistance towards what we ourselves rely on. Štipl’s imagery thus raises questions of human vulnerability and the tension between the need for support and the desire for personal freedom.

The yellow glass adds another expressive dimension to the relief. Light passing through the coloured material highlights individual details and alters their legibility. The fixed scene thereby acquires a shifting presence that heightens its unsettling atmosphere.