Untitled 1960

Editor: So, here we have Morris Louis's Untitled from 1960, created using acrylic paint stain on canvas. It strikes me as remarkably ethereal, almost like a burst of watercolor smoke. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see an echo of archaic ritual. Louis, consciously or not, evokes the ancient practice of divination through the reading of natural phenomena—water stains, cloud formations, patterns in the earth. These colors aren’t merely aesthetic; they become symbolic markers, emotional indicators in the history of mark-making, which for so long was believed to be deeply entwined with a divine source. Editor: That’s interesting. So, you're saying that these amorphous shapes could represent something beyond just… well, abstract expression? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the specific arrangement. Do the translucent washes remind you of anything else, say, from mythology? What emotions are conjured for you through their intensity and overlaps? Editor: Perhaps wings, or banners? The red evokes passion, while the blue feels calming. I never considered that these could allude to such a specific history or even attempt at deeper meaning. Curator: Precisely! Louis may be prompting us to return to a more primal mode of perception, where color and form directly stimulate emotional and even spiritual associations. The viewer almost unconsciously pieces these symbols together. Editor: I see what you mean. Now the word "stain" makes me consider it a trace of something else, something deeper than the surface. It’s almost like the painting holds an unseen narrative. Curator: And it invites us to participate in uncovering that narrative. Thank you for observing that it holds meaning! Editor: This has changed how I understand abstract art, viewing the work as less about what’s absent and more about what's subtly suggested through familiar forms and culturally inherited feelings.