Male of Sorrows #5 1970

Editor: We’re looking at Barbara Rossi’s "Male of Sorrows #5" from 1970, a print that combines figuration and abstraction in a style that feels surreal. It’s a jumble of strange shapes and suggestive forms… It feels both playful and a little unsettling. What's your interpretation? Curator: This piece, situated in the late 60s, early 70s, enters into a dialogue with the shifting cultural and political landscape. I am struck by how Rossi grapples with figuration and abstraction at a time when the definition of "fine art" was being rigorously contested. Is this perhaps a symbolic response to the Vietnam War, or a comment on the prevailing anxieties about masculinity in flux? Editor: That’s interesting! I hadn’t thought about it politically. I was more focused on the… ambiguous forms. It also feels vaguely erotic. Is that intentional, or am I just projecting? Curator: It's not a projection if you perceive it! Rossi actively destabilizes established boundaries between the public and the private. Consider the title itself: "Male of Sorrows." It echoes religious iconography, specifically depictions of Christ, yet twists this tradition into something altogether strange and unsettling. How does the visual fragmentation of the figure contribute to your understanding of its emotional state? Editor: It makes me think about how identity, especially male identity, can feel like a collection of disparate, sometimes contradictory parts. Like the 'sorrows' aren’t just external, but internal too. Curator: Exactly. The image reflects that inner turmoil through distorted imagery, pushing the boundary to include eroticism, but questioning its place in our collective cultural memory. And that speaks to its power as a piece of public art, prompting these crucial dialogues about identity, history, and representation. Editor: That's given me a lot to think about – thanks! I’ll definitely see this piece differently now, appreciating how it blends personal and public anxieties. Curator: And I’ve also been reminded of the continued relevance of surrealism in giving form to the unnamable complexities of contemporary experience.