String Attached 1950

Curator: Upon first viewing Aliss Tunbo's mixed-media print, “String Attached,” created around 1950, my immediate thought is, "organized chaos." How do you feel seeing it? Editor: My initial impression is one of restrained energy. The limited palette of reds and blues, anchored by these stark geometric shapes, suggests a composition carefully navigating a tension between order and spontaneity. Curator: Organized chaos is exactly the sentiment I have! It feels so indicative of abstract expressionism’s rebellious energy. What stands out to me is this wonderful mess of string-like lines contrasted with the groundedness of shapes; squares and blob-like forms, really a perfect balancing act. Editor: Absolutely, the linework adds a playful counterpoint to the solid forms, disrupting any sense of rigid formalism. I would focus viewers’ attention to the squares in the artwork. The emptiness creates a mise-en-abyme with the overall structure. It is as if the form creates a portal to an alternative space. Curator: True. But the portal isn't empty. Those scribbles imply activity, like something is lurking beneath. What a sneaky element of humor. This creates some tension, yes? How are the strings really “attached” to anything beyond their own performance? Editor: Precisely. The title, “String Attached,” almost reads like a commentary on artistic freedom itself—the illusion of unbound expression tempered by underlying constraints and considerations. It engages the paradox that underpins a number of artistic experimentations of the era. Curator: Or just plain life. To create one's own framework within the structure that holds you captive. That's art, isn't it? So, after breaking down Tunbo’s “String Attached," the emotional core vibrates stronger than where we started. I'll take "organized tension" for $200, Alex. Editor: Yes, I will carry away that these are not random actions, but structural equations. To have such balance, it's either intentional, or a happy accident. This careful tension may not always resonate immediately but it rewards patient looking, indeed.