Purse c. 1938

Editor: This is "Purse," a mixed-media drawing from around 1938 by Raymond Manupelli. There's something incredibly tactile about it, despite being a drawing. The colors are so rich. How would you interpret this work from a formalist perspective? Curator: Focusing solely on the inherent qualities, one must first consider the pronounced dichotomy of the composition. The upper register, patterned with sharply defined chevrons, clashes with the relative homogeneity of the lower, solid plane. What structural implications does this disruption create? Editor: It’s as if two distinct aesthetic worlds collide, a textile sample laid over, or emerging from, a solid foundation. Is the texture an illusion? Curator: The juxtaposition of simulated textures – the precise geometric patterning above and the mottled, almost decaying texture below – generates a visual tension that animates the entire picture plane. Do you find any suggestion of symbolism within the formal elements themselves? Editor: Well, the chevron pattern does lend a sense of direction and upward motion, contrasting with the stasis of the red field. Perhaps it suggests movement towards some unknown destination, maybe that relates to what you might put in the purse and the life you lead using the money or items contained inside? Curator: Intriguing thought! Even devoid of biographical context, we are able to observe this tension solely through formal devices, without needing a figurative narrative. What's remarkable is the work stands or falls based on these devices. Editor: So, by focusing on the composition, color, and texture, we uncover a formal language that speaks to a tension between stability and change. It's definitely made me look closer. Curator: Exactly. By engaging in formal analysis, our reading has opened the artwork to alternative interpretations.