Primal Star Twin #2 2001

Curator: Jack Armstrong’s "Primal Star Twin #2," dating from 2001 and executed in acrylic, confronts us with a vibrant field of energetic lines. It's privately held, so seldom seen. Editor: It is arresting—utterly chaotic. It’s difficult to find a place for the eye to rest, and the bold palette clashes more than it coalesces, giving it a restless feel. Curator: Yes, the eye dances across the impasto surfaces, following the poured and dripped lines. The dynamism recalls action painting and abstract expressionism—a clear lineage in its approach to pure, unleashed gesture. Semiotically, consider what this abstraction represents outside of formal boundaries. Editor: That unbridled expression, however, can be seen as problematic. Does this gesture merely replicate existing power structures? Action painting was, after all, largely dominated by white male artists, reinforcing specific artistic hierarchies that privileged their "genius." Curator: I appreciate the critical perspective, but I feel there's undeniable energy in the work’s pure formalism, with its balance of composition, varied use of the colorful acrylic paint. Don’t you see a sort of ecstatic harmony arising from what you see as chaotic? Editor: Perhaps harmony isn’t quite the word I’d use. What does "ecstatic" mean in this context, outside the historical marginalization of women, people of color, and queer folks? It feels celebratory, almost violently, without regard to who gets left behind in all that joyful splashing. Curator: Still, it represents an artist engaging with the canvas in a most visceral way. There's something powerful in its creation. Editor: Power can be deceptive, as can genius. It remains vital to consider who gets to declare this beauty and to what end. This painting's history—its aesthetic choices and place in art's lineage—demands such a critique. Curator: That said, revisiting pieces like "Primal Star Twin #2," opens paths of how this abstract expression is viewed across gendered or politicized viewings. Thank you for this interpretation. Editor: Yes, art demands that the viewer look past aesthetic. Hopefully we've invited visitors to ask bigger questions of this bold piece of matter painting.