Back 

Curator: Andre Derain, known for his Fauvist explorations, painted "Back". There is an evocative contrast created with these strong blocks of pigment. Editor: Yes, that's immediately striking, isn't it? The back appears both vulnerable and strong. What feelings might that inspire? Curator: Note how the thick impasto in the shadowed areas seems to give physical form to the darkness, which contrasts with the smoother application on the skin. Editor: Interesting! You could also argue that the darkened shoulder alludes to the idea of carrying a burden, or a memory. There is a shadow to the warmth depicted elsewhere, and not just on her figure. Curator: I see that point, but I feel that would assume some inherent narrative from an unfinished form; for example, how this work only reveals her from the rear and how that adds to its sense of incompleteness, that one aspect can't encapsulate a bigger picture of memory and narrative. Editor: Do you think that Derain intentionally avoided delineating details to amplify its primal, symbolic weight? Curator: Undoubtedly. I suspect he was pursuing something elemental about the human form itself. There is something primal and ancient in this depiction. Editor: Indeed. It is the raw essence of being, sculpted into the physical presence. The nude itself may echo classical ideals of form, reinterpreted through a modern lens, of course. Curator: Agreed. The juxtaposition makes this so much more. He created it and the work makes use of visual oppositions to do so. It seems to me that he lets that fact define how this looks and feels to its audience. Editor: I do also appreciate it! It makes us think about cultural memory, but without telling a particular story. Curator: Precisely. Hopefully our discussion has been helpful and encouraging! Editor: Absolutely! I look forward to more explorations together.