Color exercise; reds and greens c. 1945

Curator: At the Harvard Art Museums, we have Albert Szabo’s *Color exercise; reds and greens*. It's a study of spatial relations. What’s your initial take on this composition? Editor: It feels like a map of some alien city, doesn't it? Quiet, almost melancholy, but with these sudden bursts of red excitement. Curator: Well, I see a deliberate arrangement of shapes, primarily squares and circles, placed against a muted ground. The materials themselves—paint, paper, perhaps fabric—speak to a practical exploration. Editor: Yes, "practical," but also playful! It reminds me of childhood collages. Did Szabo intend to deconstruct the seriousness of color theory with this materiality? Curator: Perhaps. By engaging with the physical properties, he certainly pushes us to think about color, form, and the labor of art making in new ways. Editor: It is a work that invites one to think, as well as feel. A stimulating color exercise, indeed. Curator: Indeed!