Pachinko 1989

Curator: Welcome. We're now in front of Al Held's striking acrylic on canvas work, "Pachinko," completed in 1989. Editor: Well, my first impression is of pure, unadulterated…joy? The vibrant colors and seemingly impossible geometry feel playful, almost like a children's building blocks set, but with a far more complex structure. Curator: Held was certainly interested in pushing boundaries, creating visual tension between the flatness of the canvas and the illusion of three-dimensional space. You see how these geometric forms seem to float and intersect in ways that defy our everyday understanding of perspective? This aligns him with the ongoing dialogues within abstraction and modernism, particularly with Pop Art's entry into it. Editor: Exactly! And the scale… while the dimensions are large, it doesn’t overwhelm. I'm wondering about Held's technique. How did he achieve such crisp lines and such a smooth application of paint, which almost look…printed? I bet there's an interesting story about the acrylic paint itself; where he bought it, who was manufacturing paints that size in that year? What about its materiality contributes to this overall feeling of, I’ll say, buoyant instability? Curator: Your eye for materiality is sharp! The use of acrylic contributes to its graphic feel. What strikes me, historically, is how this piece challenges the often serious and self-important pronouncements made about abstract art in previous decades. By infusing this complex geometry with bright color and even humor, Held carves out a new space. Editor: I agree completely. It’s not just about the social commentary. Held’s interest in mass-produced color and commercial techniques suggests a deliberate blurring of the lines between 'high' art and mass production. Thinking of all that material process, that much layering of colors, the art handlers that had to display this heavy piece... It shows to what extent he made art a public feat! Curator: Precisely. The playfulness challenges hierarchies! And the reception certainly evolved. In 1989, were audiences ready for this? Editor: Interesting questions indeed, with great consequences for both the art market and its audiences! Thank you for bringing these considerations up. Curator: A fascinating glimpse into a key moment in modernism!