Transpercer la transparence (12) 1951

Curator: This collage is “Transpercer la transparence (12)” by Gherasim Luca, made in 1951, a work of mixed media. It includes collage and other media on paper. What are your first thoughts? Editor: It’s remarkably gentle, isn’t it? The overlapping geometric shapes almost float on the page, like hazy memories. The pastel colours and the embossed frame make it feel strangely intimate, like finding an old greeting card. Curator: Luca was, to his core, a revolutionary surrealist. The title, "Piercing the Transparency," suggests an attempt to break through the surface of the visible world to reveal something hidden. The overlaying of geometric shapes might speak to the fragmented nature of perception or the attempt to grasp something elusive. Editor: That's fascinating. The title contrasts sharply with the quiet aesthetic. Thinking about it historically, in the aftermath of World War II and during the rise of totalitarian regimes, perhaps "transparency" isn't just about visibility but also about honesty, political openness… something actively suppressed. Luca was, in fact, a Romanian Jew, forced to flee to Paris due to antisemitism in Romania. This makes me wonder if there are socio-political implications behind it. Curator: Yes, I imagine so. It speaks to the complex tension between visibility and what's being concealed. And given the geometric style, I can't help but think of constructivism or even futurism, avant-garde movements attempting to envision and build a better future from the ruins of the old. Perhaps here, Luca is hinting at constructing a new kind of reality through fractured images. Editor: The use of collage is important to consider here. The collage technique, especially its deployment by Dada artists, embodies a similar idea—rupture and recombination of meaning. Bringing together diverse fragments creates new relations. It might reflect Luca's personal experience of displacement. Curator: True. There's a tenderness here as well that complicates things. The ornate border…the fragility of the translucent shapes, as though Luca is finding beauty within the deconstruction. Editor: That tenderness, given Luca’s biography and historical context, transforms into a form of resistance, a quiet scream that demands a reckoning with opacity. Curator: What began as a soft, gentle surface now feels filled with much harder edges and intentions. Editor: Absolutely. It reveals how personal experiences intertwine with collective history and how art bears the marks.