Vrij Geometrisch 1992

Editor: Here we have "Vrij Geometrisch," which translates to "Free Geometric," by Eugene Brands, created in 1992 using mixed media including acrylic paint. It strikes me as a very playful yet somehow serious composition with its bold colour blocks. What do you make of it? Curator: The "freedom" of geometry in the title points towards a very specific historical and cultural context. Post-World War II, we see artists wrestling with the legacy of abstract art – could pure form and color still carry meaning after such devastation? Brands, affiliated with the CoBrA movement, seemed to suggest "yes," but with a distinct turn towards experimentation. Do you notice the layering of colors? Editor: I do. It seems almost haphazard in places, not precise like some geometric abstraction I've seen. Curator: Exactly! It rejects the rigid, utopian ideals associated with early geometric abstraction like Mondrian, and embraces a more subjective, almost childlike approach. We must remember that the CoBrA artists emphasized spontaneity and primal expression. Is there a political statement, implicit, in this gesture? Is this childlike freedom a form of rebellion, a response against rigid structure, after years of Nazi oppression in the Netherlands? Editor: So, it's not *just* abstract. It's also a commentary on societal control. But did the public receive it this way back then? Curator: Reception was mixed. Some celebrated its liberation of form and color, while others found it simplistic or even regressive. Understanding its historical positioning, the way art serves both to express and shape cultural values, allows us to consider *Vrij Geometrisch* as an expression of post-war optimism. Editor: I see it in a new light now. The childlike quality, the almost messy application, it's all deliberate and culturally motivated! Curator: Precisely. That's what makes art history such a rewarding pursuit!