Edge 4 1985

Editor: Here we have Warren Rohrer’s "Edge 4," painted in 1985, using acrylic. I am really struck by the texture. It's so tactile and kind of earthy. What do you see when you look at this piece? Curator: The immediate visual interest for me resides in the articulation of its surface. Rohrer meticulously layers acrylic paint, employing an impasto technique. Consider the dichotomy: a seemingly simple composition, yet the nuanced texture creates visual complexity. How does the interplay of light and shadow across the impasto affect your perception? Editor: It makes the painting seem to shift depending on how the light hits it. I see so many different marks, almost like writing or code hidden within the paint. What does that signify? Curator: Semiotically, one might interpret those marks as signifying a tension between control and chance, intentionality and spontaneity. Notice how these "inscriptions" are situated above a darker, more uniform band of color. The juxtaposition of chaotic texture above, against a solid ground below, provokes a reading that touches upon balance and imbalance. Editor: So, you're saying the painting isn't just about what it depicts, but also about how it's made? Curator: Precisely. Formalist criticism compels us to look closely at the how. Consider the materiality of the paint itself: its viscosity, its opacity, its potential for sculptural effect. These elements, in their arrangement and application, generate meaning independent of external referents. Does analyzing the work through the lens of material presence shift your understanding of it? Editor: Definitely! I focused first on a potential "subject" and it being gloomy, but looking closely at technique highlights Rohrer's process and transforms my engagement. Curator: Indeed. By centering formal qualities and analyzing their interplay, we apprehend “Edge 4” not merely as representation, but as a self-contained system of visual relationships.