Composition 1963

Editor: Here we have Milton Resnick's "Composition" from 1963, made with oil paint. The painting's surface is just so dense, an all-over field of color. It almost feels like a textile. How can we interpret this work? Curator: What strikes me is the intense labor embedded in the making of this piece. Look at the sheer accumulation of paint; Resnick’s process becomes highly visible. Don’t you think that this challenges a traditional view of Abstract Expressionism as purely about individual gesture? Editor: Yes, absolutely. Instead of a spontaneous act, we see the result of repetitive, almost industrial mark-making. It downplays the artist's ego and elevates the significance of material application. It's so tactile, I wonder, what kind of tools might he have used? Was this common at the time? Curator: Good questions. He likely used a palette knife or a similar tool to apply the paint so thickly, and yes, other artists like Jean Fautrier were experimenting with similar matter painting approaches around this time. But also consider the post-war context. Could the density of the paint, the relentless process, reflect the overwhelming materiality of a rapidly consumerist society? Are we looking at an echo of production itself? Editor: That’s fascinating, I never considered the social implications so directly. So it's not just abstract for the sake of abstract but actually commenting on… everything? Curator: In a way, yes. Resnick presents not just paint, but a meditation on how we engage with material and the systems that create it. It really broadens our view beyond aesthetics. Editor: Thinking about it this way makes me appreciate the painting a lot more. It is far more complex and profound. Thank you for helping me look closer! Curator: My pleasure, seeing art with new eyes enriches us all!