No. 5 1971

Editor: This is Bernard Cohen’s “No. 5,” currently residing in the Tate Collections. The dimensions are 725 by 903 mm. It feels almost like a minimalist statement, but the dots suggest something more. What is your take? Curator: I see a commentary on visibility and absence, echoing the struggles of marginalized voices. Cohen uses the blank space as a canvas for silence. The subtle dots on the side could be those voices, present but not centered. Editor: So, the emptiness itself is a statement about who is not being represented? Curator: Precisely. And consider the artwork’s title, "No. 5." What does "No." imply in the context of social and political discourse? Editor: I hadn’t considered that! It adds a whole other layer. Thanks for helping me see that.