[no title] 1998

Editor: This untitled work by John Beard presents a dark, almost obscured image. It feels like looking through a rain-streaked window. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It evokes the impact of environmental degradation. The obscured imagery perhaps represents the silencing of indigenous voices and the erasure of their land. Editor: Do you think that was his intention? Curator: It’s not just about intention, but about the work's potential to address the violence of colonialism and environmental exploitation when it is viewed and discussed. Editor: That gives me a new way to think about abstraction. Curator: Exactly. It helps us understand how art can be a tool for social commentary.