Eclipsa 1999

Curator: Editor: Here we have "Eclipsa," an acrylic on canvas piece by Gil Nicolescu from 1999. There's such a vibrant energy to it, a sun-like form dominating the canvas with these almost fractured geometric shapes within. What's your read on this work? Curator: Well, looking at "Eclipsa," I'm immediately drawn to the artist's choices regarding materials and the labor involved in creating this image. The application of acrylic paint, how it’s layered and textured, speaks to a deliberate process. It seems less about a spontaneous outburst and more about controlled, repeated actions. What considerations about materiality arise for you? Editor: It is fascinating how the bright colors, juxtaposed with the darker lines, are used. Could you speak to how the social context of 1999, or perhaps Nicolescu's own circumstances, might have informed this use of materials? Curator: Certainly. Considering the late 90s, there was a pervasive dialogue around the “end of painting,” with digital art gaining prominence. Nicolescu's commitment to acrylic on canvas could be read as a conscious decision to engage with the tradition, perhaps to resist the dematerialization of art occurring with digital technologies. Think about the accessibility and cost of acrylic paint versus oil; this could be an engagement with ideas of labor. What do you make of that idea? Editor: I guess sticking to that tradition is, in a way, another method of making art… perhaps an intentional political choice by using more traditional means instead of exploring digital approaches. Now, after our talk, the work has become a statement on labor, accessibility, and art traditions! Curator: Exactly! And that's the beauty of art; it always has many things to reveal.