Vine 1993

Curator: "Vine," created by Brice Marden in 1993. What strikes you first? Editor: It's deceptively calm. All these pale colors, these wandering lines. Almost meditative. But underneath, I sense a tangle, a struggle. It reminds me a bit of Deleuze's concept of the rhizome - a complex, non-hierarchical network. Curator: That's interesting, the struggle bit. I actually find myself soothed, a bit lost perhaps, but in a good way. Like a hazy memory I can't quite grasp. The grey and very pale blue lines float above the off-white background; to me, this is not quite paint, not quite drawing, but something in between. Editor: I think Marden is making us think about networks of power. Notice how the lines intersect and overlay, sometimes obscuring each other. Like power dynamics, visibility and agency are distributed unevenly. Is this intentional? Well, let's just say art doesn't exist in a vacuum, right? Curator: Everything's political. Got it. It is compelling, this interplay. Do you feel these colors reinforce this political undercurrent, though? It strikes me that more assertive colors might completely destroy the ambiguity and the balance here. And Marden loved calligraphy, perhaps it's the pure expression of line that interests him more than these socio-political statements you are mentioning. Editor: But isn't the "pure expression of line" itself a product of historical and cultural forces? Calligraphy is an exercise in discipline, of prescribed forms and movements – there is no "pure" expression. We also need to remember Marden made this in the early 90s, not long after the fall of the Berlin Wall, with many thinkers speaking about power, society and connections in new terms. This work is totally relevant to that thinking! Curator: I find your arguments compelling, always! Still, for me this artwork remains profoundly personal. A quiet place for wandering. Editor: And perhaps that's the point. We can appreciate its formal qualities and engage with its social context. The beauty is finding connections, even if we start from different places.