Canto XIII 1963 - 1964

Editor: Here we have Barnett Newman's "Canto XIII," a striking print from the Tate collection. It’s a simple composition, really, divided vertically into ochre and olive sections, but it has this intriguing tension. What do you make of the colors and their relationship to each other? Curator: Ah, yes, Newman. He once said, “I thought of space as being alive.” Maybe here, the colors are not just colors, but are characters, perhaps even wrestling with each other. Do you feel that friction? Editor: Absolutely. There's a push and pull, a visual vibration. It’s less about harmony and more about… confronting. Curator: Precisely! It’s an encounter. What does it stir in you? Editor: I guess I see two separate entities, side-by-side. Each feels complete on its own, yet they define each other. Curator: Beautifully put! Newman aimed for this kind of direct, emotional experience. So, what have you learned today? Editor: I’ve learned that sometimes the simplest forms can hold the most complex dialogues. Curator: Indeed. Art is not always about what we see, but what we feel and discover within ourselves.