Untitled 1999 - 2000

Curator: Well, this piece by Allyson Strafella, currently without a title, strikes me as almost ethereal. The delicate off-white shades… it's incredibly subtle. Editor: Yes, and I'm immediately drawn to the labor that went into building the surface of this work. You can see the artist has used tape, carefully layered to create texture. It's about material and the process of its application. Curator: Right, and I think that emphasis on process speaks to broader trends. Consider the '80s art market… this piece, materially humble, could be seen as a quiet resistance to the bombastic, large-scale works that dominated the art world at the time. Editor: Precisely. It also challenges the hierarchy between fine art and craft. Tape, typically a tool for support, becomes the primary medium here. There’s an inherent commentary on value in the art object. Curator: Absolutely, and the limited color palette reinforces that. It's less about spectacle and more about quiet contemplation. It’s interesting how a lack of color can be so evocative. Editor: The scale, too, directs us to focus closely. It's about intimately engaging with the materiality, the history embedded in the process. Curator: I agree. Seeing it now, I’m reminded how objects like these can reveal more about cultural values than we initially expect. Editor: Indeed, it leaves me thinking about the politics of artistic labor.