Ceremony 1960

Editor: We're looking at Jerome Kaplan's "Ceremony" from 1960. It's an etching, a print with some watercolor. It's a haunting image... kind of unsettling but intriguing. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: What immediately catches my eye is the title itself, "Ceremony." The image feels deeply ritualistic, but the distorted figure resists specific cultural ties. Etchings like this gained traction post-war, reflecting societal anxieties. It seems to channel a feeling of disorientation... what do you make of the figure’s obscured face? Editor: It's disturbing, definitely. It reminds me of how sometimes rituals become hollow, losing their original meaning. Almost like a performance of something once sacred. Curator: Precisely! The sketchy lines contribute to a sense of incompleteness, reflecting a break from tradition. Consider also the institutions supporting artists like Kaplan – were galleries showcasing these anxieties, capitalizing on a particular mood? Do you think that has had an influence? Editor: That’s interesting. Maybe they were, consciously or not. It’s almost as if the gallery *itself* became part of the ceremony, framing this unsettling view of the world for public consumption. Curator: Exactly! Art becomes a commodity within a system. How does this awareness shift your perception of the artwork? Editor: It makes me question the artist's intent even more. Was Kaplan critiquing this societal anxiety, or was he complicit in it? Or even further was it a true cry for help of sorts? I guess there are multiple ways to interperate this. Curator: Indeed, the strength lies in its ambiguity. The 'Ceremony' encapsulates how art can simultaneously reflect and be shaped by societal and market pressures. This was insightful to think over together!