Tracking Down Guiltless Doves 1936

Editor: We're looking at Arshile Gorky's "Tracking Down Guiltless Doves," an oil painting from 1936 housed here at SFMOMA. It's a really interesting composition, almost whimsical, with these shapes that remind me of, well, who knows what! What do you see in this piece, focusing on the abstract elements themselves? Curator: The primary interest here lies within the pictorial space, achieved through colour and line. The flatness of the picture plane is disrupted by the impasto technique, giving the painting a tactile quality. Note the tension created by the contrast between the bright, almost playful colours - the reds, yellows, and greens - and the stark white background. What structural elements seem to define the composition? Editor: I see those bold lines, especially the black ones, and how they create a sense of movement around the central forms. The bright colours seem to push forward while the white creates depth. Do the shapes represent something, even if abstractly? Curator: The shapes, though abstract, suggest biomorphic forms. Their arrangement generates an internal rhythm that carries the viewer's eye throughout the painting. Forget, for a moment, the title – does the emotional tenor shift? Does a particular mood then dominate your attention? Editor: That’s a good point; now I focus on how each form is related through its colours, as shapes on the plane that might suggest something I haven’t encountered before. I notice how each stands alone and apart in the shared, flattened field. Curator: Precisely. The achievement emerges from this structural logic of lines, forms, colors, and material – the objective qualities before us. Its title, ultimately, is immaterial. Editor: That focus on form is so insightful. It helps to see how those relationships make the piece come alive even without representational clarity. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure. I appreciate how our dialogue exposed Gorky’s technical achievement through composition rather than description.