L'Enclume 1952

Editor: Right, next up is "L'Enclume," an oil on canvas created by Wolfgang Paalen in 1952. The sandy colors and layering make the eye really get lost in the piece… It looks so tactile. How do you approach something that feels so much about materiality? Curator: It's crucial to understand the post-war context. Art Informel, like this piece, really emphasized process and the inherent qualities of materials as a response to the rigid structures they felt defined pre-war art and society. It challenges the traditional idea of the artist as a skilled craftsperson who perfectly executes a plan, rather focusing on an experimental, unplanned way to engage with materiality. Look at how Paalen lets the oil paint drip and pool. How does that choice, in itself, become meaningful to you? Editor: So, the *application* becomes as significant as the *image*, in a way? It almost seems anti-capitalist. There isn't a 'product' being sold here... just a record of labor and material. Curator: Exactly! It directly comments on the role of the artist and the nature of artistic production in a changing world, it elevates it to being a visual experience as an aesthetic expression. Paalen's "L'Enclume" embodies this shift, right down to the canvas itself. What about the support of the paint, the literal fabric this image exists on, its inherent material conditions as a made object, not just a picture? Editor: I never thought about it that way. Thinking about process and materials shifts my understanding so much. I assumed there had to be a deeper hidden meaning, but maybe the meaning *is* the making? Curator: Precisely. Art Informel embraced chance and the physical properties of paint to reject established artistic norms. The canvas becomes an arena for action, challenging conventional notions of both high art and craft. It’s about revealing the inherent properties of the materials and the gestures made to compose the painting.. Editor: Well, I am looking at abstract art in a different way now! Thank you for guiding me. Curator: Absolutely. Hopefully, next time, you’ll look deeper into not just *what* a work depicts but *how* it was made and what materials were employed.