467/67 1967

Curator: Looking at Rupprecht Geiger's "467/67," created in 1967, we are presented with a vivid example of his exploration into color field painting. It's an acrylic on canvas, showcasing large blocks of intense color. Editor: My initial response is visceral. That intense pink—almost a neon magenta—demands attention. And then the red, almost like heat radiating off the canvas. Curator: Absolutely. Geiger was deeply interested in the experiential quality of color. He believed that color could directly impact the viewer, bypassing representation. This particular work employs simple geometric shapes. Think about the implications of working with color directly, bypassing figurative form, he eliminates any barrier to access this raw emotional impact. Editor: Which resonates strongly within its historical moment. Consider the post-war context. The exploration of abstract forms can be interpreted as a commentary of cultural revolution or political expression and resistance through non-traditional mediums. The pure color becomes a radical statement in and of itself. And these highly pigmented colors, probably coming out of industrial production of the 1960s…they weren't readily available before. Curator: Precisely. The availability of new acrylic paints afforded artists a luminosity and intensity previously unattainable, enabling new realms for explorations into how labor and production create accessibility of the materials to explore this avenue. Also the painting looks quite flat, this pushes us to investigate how materials can flatten space, questioning the relationship to depth. Editor: Do you find it problematic that such seemingly simple composition demands high price at auction? Curator: Not at all. Thinking about its creation, one cannot look past labor and materials that make up an important part of its significance. We might value a complex image filled with figures because it demands labor, time and dexterity, we forget to understand that material invention might require labor, access and distribution, adding a specific value. This impacts pricing on an economical level as much as it influences artist practice, or access for some collectives. Editor: So, in the end, Geiger pushes us to question what makes an image meaningful. To consider what constitutes a subject, or at least the power that its colors have on viewers through art historical and socio-economical awareness. Curator: It’s an invitation to contemplate our very modes of seeing, perception, and production that allows for creative accessibility for most in post-war periods.