Untitled 1961

Curator: Here we have an Untitled print by Louis Bunce from 1961. What springs to mind? Editor: Chaos, almost cheerful chaos, if that’s even a thing. The black forms feel heavy, imposing, but then there’s that bright yellow, like sunshine poking through a storm cloud. I wonder what the story is? Curator: Well, as a print, the “story” likely involves multiple layers and techniques. Look closely at the textural contrast. The solid blacks seem almost silkscreened in their density, juxtaposed against the gestural, almost watery quality of the yellow and green washes. It invites a real study of the labor of art production itself. Editor: Ah, process as narrative. Makes sense. The artist's hand is so present though. See those delicate linear elements slashing through? There is a real sense of spontaneity fighting against, or maybe dancing with, the constraints of the printmaking process. Reminds me of de Kooning's energy, actually. Do you think there is a thematic core? Curator: Abstraction doesn't usually scream a theme in a literal way. Think about how Bunce pushes the boundaries of printmaking – how is that an echo of society at the time? This was 1961; manufacturing, print media… all central to a rapidly changing cultural landscape. His engagement with material process becomes meaningful. Editor: True. And despite being untitled, this evokes a landscape in the loosest sense: shadows, a field, something towering... That tension between something representational teases you, but ultimately gives way to the power of pure form and color. Curator: It's about how mass production changes what is valued. Why labor and materiality of print matter and also it becomes part of our consciousness. He wants the viewer to connect with the medium itself. It transcends into social commentary. Editor: So, we've landed on the organized, joyous chaos of social and material awareness. Not a bad place to be. Curator: Not at all, its how we reflect on labor that brought it here today and why this artwork matters as social dialogue through mass media.