Albers Disked 235 1998

Curator: Before us, we have Carl Chiarenza’s photogram “Albers Disked 235,” created in 1998. Chiarenza was renowned for transforming ordinary materials into striking abstract compositions. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Immediately, the interplay of light and shadow grabs me. There's this dynamic tension between the severe geometry of the darker shapes and the gleaming curvature of the disk. It's almost a study in contrasts—rigid versus fluid, dark versus light. Curator: Yes, Chiarenza, a student of Minor White, explored how abstraction could evoke the turbulent social environment that defined America. Chiarenza frequently combined found objects. In this work, we are given a circular surface and darker quadrilateral objects which may relate to Albers’s Homage to the Square paintings that he developed from 1949 until 1976. Editor: Interesting. What strikes me is the tension created by the texture and the tears on the rigid shapes in contrast with the implied industrial coldness of the reflective disk, generating both beauty and chaos. There is the perfection of form on one hand but imperfect edges of something either constructed from trash or slated to be thrown out. Curator: Absolutely. His photograms weren’t merely aesthetic exercises but powerful statements that transformed detritus. The artist's intention was to provoke us to question established values during periods of war and social protest, suggesting what once seemed solid could be in danger of collapse. Editor: I can see that. And formally, the composition pushes beyond pure abstraction. The placement feels intentional, generating an uneasy sense of balance with dramatic results. The artist achieves remarkable depth using solely shades of grey to show, for example, which of the black quadrilaterals are in front and which are behind each other, giving the picture another layer of intrigue. Curator: I see that his approach resonated with the socially engaged artistic practices from the ‘60s. He worked, as seen here, to critique norms and power structures of the time. His approach transformed perceptions and invited viewers to question, prompting dialogue and inciting social change. Editor: Looking at the texture and the forms, this work’s formal arrangement feels fresh and surprisingly urgent even today. It's really quite compelling. Curator: Yes, "Albers Disked 235" certainly encourages us to reflect upon how art is always influenced by and speaks to shifting societal structures.