Format 30 F 1987

Editor: Here we have Jean Miotte's "Format 30 F," created in 1987. It's an acrylic painting with these bold, sweeping gestures...I find it quite dramatic. What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: Well, its late date is interesting, and that puts it firmly in the Neo-Expressionist movement, which grappled with the commercialization of Abstract Expressionism. Note how Miotte, who worked abstractly for decades, here, seems to *reference* gestural abstraction while signaling its potential exhaustion. Do you see how the white background pushes forward? Editor: Yes, I do. It almost flattens the other colours. Curator: Exactly! That was a conscious move, a push against the depth that characterized earlier Abstract Expressionism, in an attempt to highlight what could be seen as the shallow and decorative impulses overtaking it at the time. I wonder, what does that say about the art market when this was created? Editor: So, instead of purely emotional expression, this becomes almost a commentary on the state of art itself. Curator: Precisely. It provokes questions about authenticity, commodification, and the role of the artist in a market-driven world. Think about the galleries and critics shaping artistic taste during that period; Miotte seems to be in dialogue, perhaps even conflict, with those forces. Does it make you reconsider the “drama” you initially saw? Editor: It does, actually. Now, I see a more complex and critical intent. It feels almost cynical, but thoughtful too. Curator: It’s fascinating how historical context transforms our understanding, isn’t it? It encourages us to investigate the broader societal forces that impact the artwork's production and interpretation. Editor: Absolutely. I'll never look at an abstract painting the same way again.