Right After 1969

Editor: Here we have Eva Hesse’s “Right After,” created in 1969, and classified as mixed media. Looking at it, I’m struck by the almost ghostly presence of these hanging strands. It’s fragile but also substantial, this collection of material... what's your take on this piece? Curator: As a materialist, I see "Right After" as a profound statement on process and ephemerality. Consider the labor involved in constructing this network of string. Hesse uses industrial materials, shifting their meaning. She transforms a utilitarian object into an artistic one. But also, it’s about gravity, right? Editor: Gravity? Can you explain? Curator: Yes, the form is entirely dictated by gravity acting upon the material. How does this tension between deliberate construction and the surrender to natural forces speak to you? Also, this installation creates its own shadow. That's important because it is impermanent, always slightly different depending on lighting. How might those mutable shadows reflect a connection with the consumer, their place in space? Editor: I hadn't thought about the consumer’s place in creating the shadows, but it definitely ties the viewer to the experience. Curator: It also connects the artwork to mass production and questions ideas around mass consumption that started accelerating around the same time as its production. Editor: It makes the familiar—a string—strange and compelling through repetition and context. Curator: Precisely. Hesse highlights the often-overlooked labor inherent in production while creating a captivating piece. Her use of these simple means to pose bigger philosophical questions makes me rethink how industrial materials play a part in society. Editor: I'm definitely seeing a new dimension of materiality and societal questions here that makes me eager to re-think its significance.