Waiting for the Sun to Rise 1974

Editor: This is Sheigla Hartman’s 1974 print, "Waiting for the Sun to Rise". The monochromatic image appears to be an experiment in line and form, somewhat architectural in its arrangement. What formal qualities stand out to you? Curator: The piece compels us to consider the fundamental elements of art. Notice the rigorous application of line—not simply as contour, but as texture and value. Consider how Hartman uses vertical lines of varying thickness and density to create a sense of depth and atmospheric perspective. Editor: I see that. It's like she's built this complex structure out of just lines, with darker areas giving the illusion of shadow. But what does it mean? Curator: The 'meaning', as such, isn’t representational, it emerges from the visual experience itself. It challenges us to analyze the formal components--rhythm, balance, tension, and how they generate a complex visual structure with areas that vibrate. Is it representational? Do we require it to be so? Editor: So, you are suggesting that the ‘meaning’ stems from my visual perception of these artistic devices such as pattern and shading to infer the feeling and sense of the work. I didn’t think about it this way. Curator: Precisely. Discarding all anecdotal elements and focusing entirely on the interplay of artistic features facilitates us the truest expression of its being, untarnished and distilled. What is 'revealed' in the composition? Editor: Now I understand how closely attending to these formal elements really influences my perception. Curator: Yes. It is precisely by apprehending and understanding line, form, space, and texture that the underlying aesthetics of the work come to light. Editor: I think I have a better appreciation for what this work is trying to accomplish now. Curator: I am glad for that and so have I. We now acknowledge art can affect and reveal through the visual structures made solely of formal arrangements of basic building blocks of shape and contrast.