Stretch 

Editor: Here we have "Stretch" by Patrick Nagel. I don’t see a date on the placard. It's acrylic on canvas. It feels very sleek and stylized, with all the sharp lines and negative space. What is your reading of it? Curator: It's interesting that you highlight the sleekness. Nagel's mastery resides in the interplay of line and form, and that produces the sense of "sleekness," if you will. Notice the stark contrast in colour, the flatness of the forms. It flattens the subject and reduces it to geometric essences. Editor: Yes! I definitely see those geometric shapes creating a sense of form, the sort of angular quality, almost like a stylized fashion illustration. Do you think this reflects a specific art movement? Curator: Definitely, there is a strong case to relate it to Pop Art and Neo-Pop movements because of its flat fields of colour, hard outlines, and its graphic quality, yet what makes it special is its careful composition, right? Each element has a place in relation to everything else. What’s created with this arrangement? Editor: Hmmm...I’m not sure I follow. The position of the arm...? Curator: Exactly! Consider the curve of her spine echoed in the raised arm; that echo establishes visual rhythm. What, then, of the line? How does line contribute to meaning here? Editor: It gives it such a minimalist and bold feel, doesn’t it? That very streamlined impression again. Almost… manufactured. Curator: Precisely! You’re attuned to Nagel’s deliberate aesthetic. It prompts questions about the constructed nature of imagery and representation. What's interesting is Nagel really captures line and minimalism that leaves me wanting more, as a viewer. Editor: That’s so interesting! I am now curious to see more of Nagel’s body of work. Thank you!