Alexandra Exter (My Fan is Half a Circle) 1994

Curator: Good morning. We’re standing before Miriam Schapiro's work, "Alexandra Exter (My Fan is Half a Circle)," created in 1994 using acrylic paint. Schapiro was a leading figure in the Pattern and Decoration movement. Editor: My first thought? Bold! The flattened perspective, vivid colours... and that arresting red silhouette holding the geometric fan. It has the look of textile designs but flattened against an action painting background. Curator: It’s fascinating how Schapiro is engaging with art history here, right? Referencing Exter, a Constructivist artist. I think the painting really speaks to Schapiro’s interest in the role of women in shaping avant-garde movements. It feels almost like a pop art memorial. Editor: Absolutely. I’m drawn to the visible labour too. Schapiro is taking painterly traditions and almost collaging them, layering them to give it dimension. You can see how the fabric-like designs play on ideas of domestic craft meeting "high art" aesthetics, and the construction in the cut of the lines throughout the painting. Curator: The visual vocabulary of art deco and Cubism is definitely apparent. It acknowledges Exter's practice of theatrical design. Schapiro’s use of pattern feels both celebratory and critical – investigating women’s artistic contributions but also acknowledging the confines of the art world that might overlook or limit them. Editor: Confines is the right word here – with such bold use of space, a figure that dominates while almost being cut up, I’m seeing commentary on being seen as well as making. The work isn't just a reproduction; it’s Schapiro processing her predecessor, perhaps wrestling with her. Curator: I think it shows us how the political dimensions of art operate – and asks vital questions about how institutions, styles and art making are constantly reshaping the way we understand not only history, but our present. Editor: Yes. By emphasizing the constructed nature of the image and its layered cultural references, Schapiro prompts a rethinking of value in art. Curator: A powerful dialogue, isn’t it, about influence, craft, and recognition, continuing even today. Editor: Definitely. This really emphasizes not only who makes the art, but *how* it's made, and why it all matters.