VAV 1960

Editor: Here we have Morris Louis’ "VAV" created in 1960, residing here at the Tate Modern. Painted with acrylic on canvas, its brown hues create this striking sense of weight. The edges, though, feel so light, almost blurred. What's your take? Curator: Weight, yes, like staring into a giant, beautiful bruise. But there's a delicacy too, isn't there? These are veils of color, not slabs. Think of Louis pouring diluted acrylic onto unprimed canvas—staining, not painting. It's a dance between control and surrender. Does it perhaps bring to mind an internal landscape, something primal yet evanescent? Editor: Primal, I like that. It does feel very elemental. What I find so curious is that lack of discernible form within the color. It’s just... there. Curator: Exactly! This "thereness" is the essence of Color Field painting. It strips away the narrative, the subject, leaving only the pure experience of color. Louis aimed, they say, to achieve complete opticality. In a way, this pushes against the angst of Abstract Expressionism, don't you think? It feels so...serene, almost? Editor: I see what you mean about stripping away the narrative. I hadn’t quite put it together with Abstract Expressionism before. The contrast gives it a completely different angle for thinking about abstract art. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure! It’s a wonderful piece that keeps inviting us into silent contemplation, a refreshing moment of quietude.