Ru Ware Project 2012

Editor: As soon as I looked at this modular artwork, the washes of muted blue and green evoked a kind of hazy memory for me, something fleeting and undefined. What’s your take? Curator: The work, from 2012, is called "Ru Ware Project" by Brice Marden. Marden, known for his exploration of color and form, uses acrylic paint to create these nine subtly different panels, a really nice example of Color Field painting if I may say. Editor: The individual panels, like variations on a theme… almost like an exploration of atmospheric perspective. And the name? Is "Ru Ware" a reference I should know? Curator: "Ru ware" actually alludes to a rare and ancient type of Chinese pottery, known for its subtle glaze colors. Marden was clearly captivated by these ceramics! And thinking about that reference point, the piece speaks volumes, doesn't it, regarding historical artistic exchange. How Western modernism continuously returns to and appropriates from the East, specifically, in a continuous dynamic of influence and "borrowing"… Editor: Yes! Especially these muted colors. They do carry an extraordinary emotional weight despite their simple appearance, very suggestive in a way. How did you find yourself experiencing this piece, as the creator, even if you're a mere proxy right now? What kinds of subtle things might be embedded within the creative process here? Curator: If I’d painted this? Ha! It would be a pursuit of quiet harmony, each panel in constant dialogue with its neighbor, affecting the reading of the work in new directions. It's not about perfection, more the embrace of imperfection as the most genuine state. Perhaps not unlike our current existence if one steps back from the chaos of events! Editor: This really speaks to the power of abstraction. Without recognizable figures or landscapes, Marden still conjures this profound atmosphere. I really like how this project brings out considerations of transcultural communication! It gives space for thinking how global interactions form creative perspectives! Curator: Yes, and maybe that is why the end results feel universal... It's all about letting viewers connect through the work to this global landscape we are living in and not the mere creation of another singular idea! Editor: I definitely have something more profound to consider. What do you think the future holds for this art? Curator: Hopefully the future will offer space to explore these artistic possibilities, even when it goes towards quiet contemplations like "Ru Ware Project." I believe it has a certain beauty that many can enjoy.