La Bruyère VI (for Merce Cunningham) 1976

Editor: Here we have Irwin Kremen's "La Bruyère VI (for Merce Cunningham)," created in 1976 using mixed-media collage. It has a definite worn feeling to it, almost archaeological. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The layered surfaces and fragmented texts draw my attention to the role of art as a carrier of cultural memory. Kremen, deeply engaged in the artistic communities of his time, dedicated this work to Merce Cunningham, a hugely influential figure in modern dance. Considering their collaborative milieu, could this collage reflect the ephemeral nature of dance itself, preserved through fragments and recollections? Editor: That’s interesting! So the tears and rips… Curator: Precisely! Think of the tearing and layering as a metaphor for the passage of time, and for how Cunningham’s choreography, so radical at the time, impacted and reconfigured the established forms. The visual layering invites viewers to consider how social and artistic movements shape the collective consciousness. It also highlights the institutional practices that acknowledge, interpret, and preserve artistic expressions. Do you think Kremen aimed to challenge traditional notions of artistic permanence? Editor: Definitely, and the found elements – the scraps of text and aged paper – speak to that impermanence, too. Using matter painting almost turns these discards into treasured objects. Curator: Precisely! Kremen elevates discarded ephemera to art, blurring the lines between high and low culture, reflecting how art itself could redefine its own space in culture through repurposing overlooked material and imagery. Considering this artwork's role as a tribute within the vibrant artistic community of its era makes one consider the sociopolitical and art worlds these artists inhabited. What do you make of the green? Editor: Now that you mention it, the overwhelming amount of muted, aged green perhaps evokes a certain sense of nostalgia, reflecting a bygone artistic era. Curator: Precisely! These works serve as reminders that artists often act as barometers of social change and witnesses to history, capturing and critiquing through creative exploration. Editor: I’ll never look at collage the same way! Thanks for that lens.