Untitled 1995

Editor: We’re looking at Harriet Korman’s "Untitled," a 1995 acrylic on canvas painting. I find its stark geometry almost unsettling. The interplay of grey tones and the sharp angles… what do you make of it? Curator: I see it as a deliberate disruption of traditional artistic spaces. Korman's geometric abstraction invites us to consider how systems of power and visibility operate within art itself. The piece, while seemingly abstract, reflects broader societal structures and challenges viewers to question them. Editor: I see what you mean. It feels very intentional, but could you expand on how geometry relates to power? Curator: Think about the history of art – who was represented, who held the brush? Korman, as a woman artist working within the traditionally male-dominated field of Abstract Expressionism, subtly subverts that history through her chosen forms. The assertive lines and planes can be read as a claiming of space. Do you think the colour palette helps or hinders that message? Editor: That’s fascinating. I hadn’t considered the colour that way. I just thought it gave it a melancholic mood. It also feels very architectural, which I suppose also fits into the ideas of power structures. Curator: Exactly! The monochrome palette underscores the formal elements, directing our focus to the underlying structure, a structure Korman re-imagines, challenging the historical narratives embedded within art. Editor: I see the painting so differently now, thank you! Curator: It's a constant dialogue, isn't it? Art as a lens to examine the world around us.