Untitled 1966

Editor: This is an untitled ink drawing from 1966 by John Altoon, a fantastic example of Abstract Expressionism using primarily line work. The rider on what seems to be a horse appears almost chaotic with a flurry of pen strokes that feel impulsive. What's your interpretation of this frenzied energy? Curator: It's interesting you say chaotic. I see instead a kind of raw, untamed energy being channeled through the symbolism of the horse and rider motif. Think of ancient equestrian statues – symbols of power, control, even conquest. But Altoon's lines disrupt that tradition, almost mocking it. Editor: Mocking? In what way? Curator: Notice how the figures are almost dissolving into the page. The lines are frantic, yes, but they fail to fully materialize into solid forms. The pen lifts from the page quite a lot, creating a sense of ephemerality. Consider what other symbols are present. Does that vertical mark at the edge perhaps stand for something? Editor: Well, I assumed it was just an abstract design element... I hadn't thought of it symbolically. The whole thing reads to me like something born of pure spontaneity; an ode to automatism. Curator: Precisely! So, isn’t automatism, then, an invocation? Doesn’t Altoon perhaps seek an ancient spirit through this method? How are we to say, and how do we react? That interplay interests me. Editor: That makes me see it in a totally different light. It's as if the artist sought to break down classical symbolism. Curator: Precisely! This artwork speaks of memory and culture – what happens to these ideas in our mind when confronted with new media? That’s what strikes me the most now. Editor: I definitely appreciate the deeper connections to cultural memory that I overlooked. I was caught up in the immediacy of the piece!