The Prostitute r... 1966

Curator: Marcel Mariën's "The Prostitute r..." confronts us with an abstract figure dated September 1966. Editor: The stark monochrome immediately conveys a sense of harshness, almost like shattered glass pieced back together. Curator: Precisely. Mariën, situated within Surrealism and later the Situationist International, uses abstraction to explore complex themes of exploitation and objectification. Considering his broader critique of capitalist structures, this jagged form speaks volumes. Editor: I'm thinking about how the work itself was produced. What material processes are implicated in creating this angular form? Was it cut and pasted, or some type of dark room process? Curator: I believe it is a constructed photogram. Editor: So, the photogram being a camera-less photograph, made with simple materials, forces us to think about how the artist implicates themself into the work. Curator: I agree, and the provocative title alongside the fragmented silhouette encourages a challenging dialogue about the representation of marginalized bodies. Editor: It certainly leaves you contemplating the means of representation and their impact. Curator: A potent reminder of the political dimensions embedded within abstract forms.