[no title] 1995

Editor: This untitled work by Robert Therrien presents a simple black shape on a small rectangular surface. It reminds me of a charcoal sketch. What can you tell me about the materials and process behind this image? Curator: Considering the means of production, look at the surface. How does the interaction between the paper and the black pigment inform our understanding of the image itself? The labor involved in applying the material, the texture it creates, and the object it represents – a cloud perhaps – all speak to the materiality of everyday life. Editor: So, you're saying that the simplicity itself is a commentary on the materials? Curator: Precisely. It challenges us to consider the value we place on the art object versus the labor and materials that constitute it. It's a democratization of art. Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t considered. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It’s all about seeing the art in the making.