New York 1956

Editor: We're looking at Hedda Sterne's "New York," from 1956, created with acrylic paint. The layering of hazy grays and yellows against those bold, structural lines... it evokes a sense of urban anxiety to me, almost like looking through a grimy window onto a construction site. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It’s fascinating to consider this abstract cityscape through a materialist lens. Sterne’s deliberate use of acrylic, then a relatively new medium, highlights a key moment in art's transition from traditional oil paints. What kind of effect do you think the artist intended to create through their usage of acrylic versus oil paints? Editor: I imagine it allowed for faster layering and drying times, maybe even a different kind of texture? How does that choice speak to the painting’s subject: New York itself? Curator: Exactly. The quick-drying nature of acrylic mirrors the accelerated pace of urban development in the 1950s. Consider also the social context: post-war America, booming industries, and mass production shaping not just the physical landscape, but the artistic one too. These industrial materials became increasingly favored due to ease of use, cost effectiveness and the aesthetic result that mirrored urban decay. Do you think this approach elevates or cheapens the representation of such themes? Editor: It is a really clever intersection, suggesting the integration of industry and decay that's happening. It really gives me a different perspective. Thank you! Curator: Indeed, considering materials shifts the conversation from aesthetics to the socio-economic factors influencing artistic creation. Something I think we should both be looking out for more!