Untitled 1938

Curator: Standing before us is a painting simply called "Untitled" by Ad Reinhardt, created in 1938. It resides here at the Whitney. Editor: My first impression? Restrained chaos! It's a push and pull of geometric shapes. Black, white, and creams dance together. Curator: It certainly prefigures the direction Reinhardt would take later, focusing on almost reductive abstraction. The planes intersecting remind me of cubist fragmentation, don't you think? But stripped bare of any narrative. Editor: Absolutely, but those slight overlaps give it an almost dreamlike quality, a layering of realities. Like a building under construction, or demolition. Is this the urban experience filtered through a modern lens? The almost ghostly quality of the softer beige really makes one pause. Curator: Possibly. Reinhardt was deeply interested in Modernism, taking inspiration from Suprematism and Constructivism. What’s intriguing is the limited palette. By stripping away the color, he invites us to consider purely formal relationships—the geometry, the balance of positive and negative space. He offers you some sparse red marks. Almost hidden. Like tiny cherries placed sparingly. Editor: Those almost accidental bits of red, like a hidden impulse peeking through. A bit mischievous, perhaps. Makes me question all of those confident declarations about a reductive approach. But where does the geometric hardness end, and the personal begin? It really teases your mind! Curator: This piece exemplifies Reinhardt's earlier engagement with geometric abstraction, simplifying form to achieve...well, what, in your opinion? Editor: I think it boils down to something quite personal, it is an invitation to dive into my own way of experiencing things, using these visual building blocks as tools for inner exploration. No other paintings let me think through my experience the same way, to be honest. What do you think is so important here? Curator: It reminds us how powerful restraint can be. Reinhardt invites us to really look, to slow down. Editor: Exactly. In our chaotic world of images, he beckons us into a space of quiet contemplation. So much power from what seems like so little.