Untitled; verso: blank page 1964

Curator: Paul Feeley created this watercolor on paper, called "Untitled; verso: blank page," now held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Immediately, I see a playful composition. The bright pink and turquoise shapes seem to float, almost like stylized, colorful clouds. Curator: The piece is structured around a cruciform arrangement of four identical, biomorphic forms. Feeley often explored the relationship between figure and ground. Editor: The shape itself, repeated as it is, reminds me of stylized Maltese crosses, symbols often associated with chivalry and protection. Is that intentional, do you think? Curator: Perhaps. Or maybe Feeley was more invested in the interaction of color and shape, establishing a visual rhythm. The slight imperfections in each form disrupt any rigid symmetry. Editor: True, those variations definitely add an element of human touch, undermining any sense of cold geometry. It makes it strangely welcoming. Curator: Precisely. This work, for me, highlights the beautiful tension that Feeley created between controlled form and expressive color. Editor: And for me, it reveals how even simple shapes, when repeated, can evoke surprisingly complex historical and emotional echoes.