Composition 1989

Editor: So, this is "Composition," a watercolor piece from 1989 by Maurice Esteve. I find it strangely calming, even with the bold blocks of color. It reminds me a little of looking at a map. What do you see in this work? Curator: The geometric forms certainly evoke mapping, don’t they? I see this piece as a record of accumulated cultural memory, a palimpsest of symbols layered upon each other. The use of watercolor, in particular, lends itself to that reading – the way colors bleed and blend suggesting the blurring of time and tradition. Editor: Can you elaborate on "cultural memory?" Are there specific symbols I should be looking for? Curator: Not necessarily direct, representational symbols. Think more about the psychological weight of color itself. Yellow, for instance, has long been associated with intellect and divinity, but also with caution. The interplay of these associations creates tension. Notice how Esteve juxtaposes it with grounded blues, representing stability but perhaps also melancholy. Do you feel a pull between these elements? Editor: I do. I can see how the brighter colors almost feel weighed down by the grays and blues. It feels like a balancing act. Curator: Exactly! And it's that act of balancing that speaks to the ongoing negotiation between tradition and innovation in modernist abstract painting. This is an attempt to find visual harmony through recognizable shapes and forms. Even within abstraction, cultural memory persists and takes the leading role, subconsciously shaping our interpretations. Editor: That makes so much sense! I never really considered how colors themselves carry so much baggage. I’ll definitely look at abstract art differently from now on. Curator: Hopefully, thinking of shapes in symbolic terms will further help viewers and give artwork greater personal meaning and appreciation.