Christian Brandl stages moments of potential action. Potential action in which the viewer may only partly engage: the depicted settings are visually stimulating yet offer no clear outcome. Brandl’s works recall 1950s thriller movies - but the specific nature of the instances portrayed is timeless. Arguably, Brandl could seek ways of escaping from figuration by choosing a more gestural style of painting. Yet, he consciously resists this in favor of controlling the drama of light to heighten the “spectacle of expectation”. Consequently, the viewer’s gaze remains fixed on the motionless figures and their secrets.