Koan-Cuts I 1971

Editor: This is Liliane Lijn's "Koan-Cuts I." The stacked geometric shapes are vibrant, and the overall composition feels like it's about to topple over. As an iconographer, what stands out to you in this piece? Curator: The totemic structures resonate deeply. Lijn’s use of color evokes distinct emotional states, doesn’t it? Consider how the repeated form, the "koan-cut," might represent a kind of mantra, a visual echo of meditative repetition. Editor: That's a great point, like a visual mantra. Curator: Indeed. Does the relationship between the shapes suggest a dialogue, or perhaps a tension between stability and collapse, order and chaos? Editor: I see that now, the tension is evident. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Now, consider how this reflects the broader cultural anxieties regarding change and permanence.