Soft Neon 1973

Curator: Perle Fine’s “Soft Neon,” painted in 1973, employs acrylic to explore geometric abstraction. My first impression is its muted palette; the gentle lines and subdued colours give it a very tranquil feel. Editor: Tranquil, yes, but also strangely reminiscent of early computer graphics, or even circuitry. There's a feeling of technological promise, seen through a very 70s lens, pre-internet optimism clashing with Cold War anxieties. Curator: It is evocative. The simple repetition of line and curve feels like an alphabet, a kind of coding perhaps, and reflects a turn to semiotics and minimalism we find at the time. This coded language that the artist created suggests layers that are not immediately visible but communicate to our emotional selves. Editor: Exactly! Fine was active in the New York art scene and was influenced by Abstract Expressionism, but here she pulls away from that purely emotional impulse and instead suggests coded language. This movement has clear ties to second wave feminism that sought to explore gender constructs through the language we have adopted. Curator: The colours are significant; the pale blues, pinks and greens together form a liminal state, representing the transitional and transformative qualities often linked to feminine experiences, suggesting an opening for discussion on the role of women in postwar American abstraction. Editor: Post-war for sure, and after abstract expressionism with its deeply patriarchal roots. Fine has created space, almost demanded space on the canvas. But let’s be clear, it is more than just an optical arrangement of shape and color. Curator: Yes. By incorporating seemingly familiar geometric shapes, like the U-shape, Fine has cleverly invoked forms deeply rooted in cultural consciousness, whether consciously or not. These echoes subtly reinforce continuity between abstraction and representation, creating harmony. Editor: In that sense, its softness is deceptive, isn't it? There’s real force behind it, not just in Fine’s technique, but in its quiet insistence. We need to question where we are directed and reflect on our experience as we engage with this canvas. Curator: I'll certainly carry this insight with me. The artwork embodies not just serenity but resilience too. Editor: Indeed. A quiet revolution on canvas. It shows you can use the established ways and turn it on its head.