McCarthy Press 1958

Curator: Ralph Fasanella's 1958 oil painting, "McCarthy Press," greets us with an immediate vibrancy. What strikes you first about its construction? Editor: Well, the sheer density of it all, the layering. It feels almost frantic. I'm overwhelmed by the amount of...stuff! Newsprint, architecture, tiny figures—all crammed onto the canvas. There's almost a chaotic energy to it. Curator: Indeed. Fasanella’s works are complex systems of signs. Note the prominence of the star motif created from layers of newspaper headlines, echoing contemporary anxieties during the McCarthy era. The geometric composition is crucial to interpreting his socio-political message. Editor: I'm curious about Fasanella's process here. Look at the texture, it is thick in some areas. Was he deliberately building up layers, a palimpsest of news and events using oil paint to create a kind of physical record? Did he, perhaps, utilize newspaper clippings into the materiality of this work? Curator: We know he meticulously researched current events before starting, compiling sketches and notes that functioned like architectural blueprints. The material applications certainly add to the effect; he exploits the inherent qualities of oil paint, creating a dynamic tension across the canvas. It's not just representational. Editor: It certainly blurs those lines. It reminds me of the Ashcan School in the way it seeks out these mundane elements, but it elevates them. He is using oil paint, a 'high art' material, to paint scenes of everyday life that reflect on class struggle, political oppression, and a cry against censorship. This focus seems critical to grasping his artistic project. Curator: Precisely. The materiality works in service to Fasanella’s broader aims, mirroring the layered, complex systems of power he critiques. Editor: Looking closer has definitely unlocked some of the piece's secrets. At first glance, it seemed overwhelming, but it now resonates more like an intricate act of resistance. Curator: An excellent point. Let us move on to the next piece.