Untitled 1971

Curator: So, here we have James Licini's "Untitled" sculpture from 1971. It's made of metal. My first thought: austere, almost monastic. What do you see? Editor: Well, the metal certainly lends itself to that feeling. Immediately, I see a dialogue between form and void. The negative space is almost as compelling as the solid geometry. It's… balanced, yet unsettling. Curator: That's interesting, "unsettling." Tell me more. Editor: It’s this tension. The curve, that strong arc, versus the rigid vertical. And the geometric shapes at the base… they seem both structural and randomly placed, defying an obvious logic. The form really embodies abstract expressionism in its most concrete form, literally! Curator: Indeed. Licini often played with that tension – the push and pull between raw material and carefully considered form. His background was rooted in metalwork, so I feel like the sculpture isn't merely crafted from metal; it is inherently metallic, in its being. I read somewhere he referred to the process as “revealing” the shape already inherent to the medium itself. Do you see an echo of his other abstract, linear works? Editor: Absolutely, a continuity is present. The emphasis on the vertical axis, the use of linear elements... this all contributes to his identifiable visual language. There is also something totemic and hieroglyphic to it – an angular god composed from geometric ciphers. Curator: Hieroglyphic... That makes me wonder what Licini might say if he could jump into this audio guide and have a chat. He might disagree with our academic musings. It’s likely that he was working off pure impulse, more instinct than intellectual design. Editor: Ha! Very true, the artist's intent and the artwork's outcome may be distant relatives. Even so, this piece provides a visual narrative that resonates well with the arc of the abstract expressionists. Licini invites the viewers to embark on this visual experience – we simply trace out the form he laid. Curator: Beautifully said. A visual experience that remains vibrantly in dialogue.