EXODUS 2018

Curator: Looking at this explosion of color, I am reminded of stained glass shattered and reformed. The angularity is so striking. Editor: I agree. Cricorps' "EXODUS," painted in 2018, vibrates with energetic hues. Acrylic paint forms an intricate mosaic, almost defying definition. I see an engagement with form. But let's think about why an artist working today would title this piece EXODUS. What might it mean within their current context? Curator: I notice the paint application is quite textured in some areas, revealing the process and materiality. We know that Cricorps often repurposes leftover construction materials. Could these be paint remnants from larger projects, symbolic perhaps of displaced building and creative energy? The fractured forms certainly lend themselves to ideas of displacement and forced departure inherent in the word 'exodus'. Editor: It's a compelling argument, grounding the aesthetic in the tangible realities of the artist's labor. I am particularly struck by how the formal tension arises between the mosaic-like division of space and its emotional intensity. The interplay of red and yellow dominates the central space which feels restless despite the confinement to clear geometric shapes. Curator: And isn’t that confinement telling? The artist's manipulation of this medium is intriguing. Consider, too, how neo-expressionism allows for exploration of abstract form alongside complex psychological, even sociopolitical content. What looks purely abstract soon begins to reflect the external world and personal struggle. Editor: Absolutely. And in terms of abstraction, I wonder about the absence of distinct figurative elements despite that almost implied presence of such things. Do we need to look at formal language itself—the syntax of line and color—to perceive the real thematic content of struggle. Curator: Thinking of audience reception in that light makes this piece resonate differently than, say, the early twentieth century use of abstraction. The layered processes and sourcing—material remnants, cultural touchstones in the title—weave complex threads connecting "EXODUS" to tangible, modern realities of our world. Editor: That approach certainly unlocks a layer of richness I initially overlooked. Viewing "EXODUS" strictly through color and composition made me feel it had emotional potential, but considering the material realities takes the artwork somewhere even more potent and complex.