Apices 1974

Curator: Well, I find this portfolio cover, "Apices" by Mel Bochner, strangely unsettling. The pentagons seem almost like a Rorschach test. Editor: Unsettling? I see an elegant exploration of form, a minimalist dance of geometry on a vast, pristine field. The stark contrast is what draws the eye. Curator: But that starkness, the emptiness… doesn’t it speak to a deeper anxiety? Bochner made this. I see the tension inherent in mathematical systems, how they are imposed on our lived reality. Editor: I see his fascination with seriality and systems, an almost playful deconstruction of visual language, you see anxiety? How? Curator: The isolation of the shapes against the expansive white backdrop. It makes me think about the precarity of identity, how easily we can feel adrift. Editor: Hmm, while I appreciate your interpretation, I'm more captivated by the relationships between the pentagons themselves and the negative space. Curator: It is thought-provoking how the same simple image can evoke such different feelings. Editor: Absolutely. It underscores the subjectivity inherent in viewing art—the beauty of multiple perspectives.