Morning Fever 1970

Editor: Here we have Pat Lipsky’s “Morning Fever” from 1970, created with stain and acrylic on canvas. It definitely has an abstract, landscape-like quality and those blurred colors create a distinct horizon. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Lipsky, emerging in the late 60s, was pushing against the male-dominated narratives of Abstract Expressionism. This feels almost like a reclaiming of color-field painting. Consider how she’s utilizing that staining technique. Does it suggest something to you about the role of women, perhaps, seeping into the established art world? Editor: That’s an interesting point! The way the colors blend and bleed into each other feels very fluid and uncontrolled, which could definitely be seen as a commentary on breaking boundaries and disrupting norms. Curator: Exactly! The ‘stain’ itself, the uncontrolled nature of the medium, is so subversive. And what about the title, "Morning Fever?" What kind of fever do you think Lipsky might be hinting at? Is it revolutionary fervor? Is it simply the euphoria of a new day, a new perspective? Remember this was created during a period of significant social change. Editor: Thinking about it that way, “Morning Fever” does sound like a burst of energy and possibility, maybe even hope amidst social unrest. The yellow band does feel pretty optimistic, but contrasted with darker bands below. Curator: And Lipsky perhaps uses it to signal how inseparable those emotions are. Hope cannot exist in isolation from fear and strife. Do you think this informs your initial impression now? Editor: Definitely. I initially just saw the pretty colors but, hearing this, I realize this work isn't simply aesthetic. It's a statement. Thanks! Curator: And that statement is amplified when considering how this bold artwork made space for a woman in a predominantly male movement. I have much to think about too.