Transverse Beams 1932

Curator: Looking at Patrick Henry Bruce’s “Transverse Beams” from 1932, one is struck by the way the simple geometric shapes and the bold colors clash and harmonize. Editor: It’s unexpectedly cheerful! The bright yellows and pinks... I wasn’t expecting such a playful sensibility given the geometric abstraction. What medium did Bruce use to get this effect? Curator: Predominantly oil paint, which allowed him to build up layers of color and achieve that precise delineation. I’m interested in the context of his materials – how did he see this relative balance between the artisanal and the industrial within the realm of fine art? His forms feel so calculated, as if they were made by some kind of industrial process but clearly painted meticulously by hand. Editor: Precisely. And Bruce’s location at the time sheds some light, I think. He spent a considerable portion of his career in France during an especially dynamic period for avant-garde movements, and one wonders how exhibition opportunities influenced his mature style. We know he critiqued artistic circles in Paris... did he feel this geometry would cut through the noise of it all? Curator: Absolutely, particularly given the challenges to representation after World War I. How do you make a painting after witnessing such destruction? And of course there is the dialogue of high art and interior design at this time. These pieces become statements of art deco luxury. Editor: Exactly! The rise of Art Deco and its dissemination through world expositions gave geometric abstraction a particular cache. These images gain currency, transforming homes and businesses, but at what cost to artistic integrity? Curator: A crucial point. It also raises an issue around consumerism. The artwork, at a certain point, becomes a signifier for wealth and sophisticated taste and a component within that larger matrix. Editor: I think looking at it from that angle really reframes Bruce’s overall artistic intent. It goes far beyond simple abstraction. Curator: Agreed. "Transverse Beams," while seemingly a straightforward abstract work, provokes us to reconsider how we manufacture culture and assign value within society. Editor: It definitely does. Makes one rethink the story we tell ourselves about even the simplest forms and most seemingly objective artwork.