Untitled (Cream / Red / Black) 1984

Curator: Soothing, wouldn’t you say? Immediately, the colouration speaks to a serene, even meditative quality. Editor: I see three distinct panels there; this untitled artwork by Phil Sims from 1984 is comprised of three monochrome squares. Cream, red, and black against a light background. He’s working with acrylic on canvas, part of the Colour Field painting movement. Curator: I suppose. Though my mind drifted more towards minimalist explorations in seriality…I suppose it’s difficult to view it without preconceptions around mass production in a capitalist structure. I'm drawn to the repetition and subtle variations – how does the meaning shift as we go from cream to black? What is the economic imperative of it, the impact? Editor: A very pragmatic approach, which makes sense. I appreciate Sims’ focus here. The creamy hue has a grounding quality in that first frame. Then the red comes crashing in the middle and really disrupts that, with the stark black panel at the end which seals things off almost uncomfortably. It makes me wonder if the materials and making could be viewed through an autobiographical lens. Did a specific incident encourage the colour and progression? Curator: Interesting point. Given the minimalist nature, that interpretation might feel… fraught. But let’s indulge in a biographical fallacy for a second – imagine what sorts of industrial processes and specific dye lots the artist engaged with! Then thinking through the manufacturing supply chain to create this triptych; the sourcing, labor, distribution...it reframes that subjective "trauma," as you say, within globalised production. Editor: The artwork definitely invites a plethora of readings, I admit that. Sims has definitely composed something interesting by pushing the limits of how little is needed to generate emotions in the beholder. Curator: Right, the efficient allocation of minimalist forms! Well, that has certainly offered up more than meets the eye. Thank you. Editor: Indeed! Thank you for sharing your insights.