Untitled (one form) 1996

Curator: Here we have Peter Soriano's "Untitled (one form)" from the Harvard Art Museums' collection. The dimensions of the sheet are approximately 63 by 47 centimeters. Editor: The immediate impression is playful, almost cartoonish. The bright red form pops against the white background, softened by those playful purple dashes. Curator: Those colors! Red, of course, has deep cultural associations with vitality, but here it meets a more whimsical purple, creating a tension. The two circular, lens-like shapes give the impression of eyes. Do you think this is some abstract figure? Editor: Perhaps, but I am more drawn to the process. The crisp edges suggest some sort of printmaking technique, where the artist would need to carefully consider each layer. Curator: Good point. I wonder about the artist’s decision to leave the piece untitled. Does this invite more open interpretation? Editor: It leaves the meaning open, sure, but emphasizes the materiality, the form itself, as a product of artistic labor. Curator: I see. For me, I can't help but interpret the symbolic language here. The forms do invoke a sense of play. Editor: Well, regardless of how we interpret it, it's clear that Soriano made strategic choices.