Toile rouge flamme 1973

Curator: Immediately I'm struck. It feels so... visceral, almost violent. The impasto tears, the color. It vibrates with raw energy, like staring into the heart of a flame. Editor: You're right. The piece before us is Bernard Aubertin's "Toile rouge flamme," created in 1973 using acrylic and mixed media. The monochrome palette, focusing on intense red, ties into Aubertin's dedication to the symbolic weight and emotive possibilities of a single color. Curator: That monochrome focus makes it. Red isn't just red here, it is every nuance of the life force. Think blood, passion, warning, sunrise. Does the texture remind anyone else of cracked earth or dried lava? It feels almost geological, like a primal landscape. Editor: The artist associated with Gutai and later a member of the ZERO group aimed to push the boundaries of traditional painting by highlighting the physical properties and potential for transformative actions in matter, therefore Aubertin would prepare canvases on which he then spread viscous paint that would be charred using matches, welding torches or gas burners. Curator: The idea of transforming a space using this artwork seems incredibly fitting with these facts. The "Charring" aspect and "Transformative actions in matter" give off destructive concepts of process art with the intent of showing a new meaning and perspective in which an audience will use art for their spaces and emotions. Editor: This aligns with process-based art, which invites audiences to participate, not just observe. One has a dialogue with materiality. Curator: It begs you to ask: What is the cultural impact that process art conveys? If audiences can find emotional appeal within this monochrome disaster that turns beauty into ashen artwork that evokes conversations between people and the artwork through interaction and feelings. Editor: A true cultural milestone for Aubertin, with his abstract approach on fire. Curator: Couldn’t have said it better. It’s been enlightening, even a little… singed.