Canto V 1963 - 1964

Editor: Here we have Barnett Newman's "Canto V", a lithograph. It's stark, the black rectangle pierced by that almost brutal vertical line. What's the story behind this piece? Curator: Newman’s work emerged during the Cold War. Abstraction, particularly his "zip," became a visual language of freedom, a counterpoint to Soviet socialist realism. The “zip” disrupted the established picture plane and symbolized individualism. How does that tension resonate with you? Editor: I see it, that stark contrast feels almost confrontational, a visual representation of societal division. Curator: Exactly! And the gallery space itself transforms into a kind of arena where these ideological battles are played out. It’s a powerful statement.