V 1971

Curator: Richard Smith’s print, simply titled "V," presents us with a stark landscape of lines, almost like a minimalist weather report. Editor: It feels like an exercise in contrasts, doesn't it? The vast expanse of blank space above versus the dense, almost oppressive lines below. It reminds me of a horizon line during a storm. Curator: Smith often explored the idea of flattened space, and the 'V' here perhaps symbolizes a point of convergence, or a window. The lower rectangle, so heavily worked, anchors the fleeting, ephemeral quality of the lines above. Is there an echo of the heraldic 'V', maybe? Editor: Hmmm, I do see a heraldic quality. But I also wonder if the 'V' is more about a void, a kind of existential emptiness. The heavy lines seem to be fighting against that void, trying to define it. Curator: An interesting way of seeing it. I appreciate the space that Smith creates for that interpretation. Editor: It certainly lingers in the mind, doesn't it?