In Anticipation 1988

Curator: What a vibrant, albeit puzzling, mixed-media work we have here. This is “In Anticipation” by Charles Garabedian, completed in 1988. Editor: My first thought is 'organized chaos.' There's figuration battling abstraction on multiple fronts. It feels busy, almost anxious—that tension practically vibrates off the canvas. Curator: Absolutely, that tension seems intrinsic to Garabedian's process. He often incorporated disparate images and patterns, creating works that felt simultaneously chaotic and carefully constructed. Considering the socio-political climate of the late 80s, the art world moving between neo-expressionism and the Pictures Generation, perhaps there's a commentary on the splintering of identity or societal anxieties at play. Editor: I see that. He was working in a moment of significant change and I would suggest the mixed-media approach speaks to that kind of shifting ground. And while it may appear chaotic at first glance, I note how Garabedian contains everything within this rectilinear patchwork of pattern and recognizable if somewhat awkwardly rendered figures. There’s even a dog, if you can believe it. I am wondering, given your focus on social contexts, do you see a narrative relating to the reception of art in the late 20th century embedded here? Curator: The presence of classical busts interspersed among cartoonish imagery hints at Garabedian's interest in challenging established hierarchies within art history itself. Perhaps he is suggesting a leveling of culture, an embrace of "high" and "low" forms. If we extend this even further, he is maybe interrogating the identity constructs as expressed within societal conventions. The figures look oddly trapped behind patterned barricades, but in some kind of open terrain. Editor: That really changes my perception. I was focused on the dissonance and this fragmentation, but considering your observations around social identity and its expression as cultural artifact… it makes me think about the politics of the gaze and the way historical power structures affect both artistic creation and reception. A compelling work. Curator: Yes, this examination enriches the impact, inviting us to reassess how we assign meaning. Thank you for your illuminating perspective. Editor: And thank you—I find that your approach grounds my own thoughts. I would be likely to move on, were I to confront this on my own, and maybe be dismissive because of its fractured elements. Now I can appreciate that there's complexity to that perceived chaos.