Dynamic red 1993

Curator: Oh, this immediately evokes a visceral sense of raw energy! Editor: Indeed. We are standing before Eugene Brands' "Dynamic Red," painted in 1993. It’s an intriguing example of his abstract expressionist style, rendered in what appears to be oil and acrylic. Brands’ approach involves layering paint, creating a textured surface—matter-painting, some call it. Curator: The dynamism stems, for me, not just from the vibrant red but also from that impasto technique. The texture almost invites touch. I also see an almost desperate, certainly intense gestural quality which really grabs the attention. I wonder what Brand’s mindset might have been in this period. Editor: Brands was associated with the CoBrA movement, and although that was a bit earlier, it definitely had a strong influence in later practice. He was involved in exploring freedom of expression. After WWII, CoBrA really questioned the institution, promoting the creative spontaneity. That really informs what is present on the canvas in this instance. Curator: It's clear how these social currents affected how the artist interacted with art production. This makes you really reflect upon whose freedom this dynamism embodies, and in whose name it is invoked. How does it play within different power dynamics? Editor: Those are pertinent points. Now, the sheer simplicity might raise eyebrows – is it unfinished, unrefined? Curator: Perhaps, but consider how it subverts traditional ideas of 'finish'. In the Neo-Expressionist climate, ‘raw’ carried a loaded political meaning; there was freedom to question the status quo that the use of 'poor' materials and less traditional presentation can communicate to its audience. The red dominates, becoming less a colour and more a forceful statement. Editor: It almost makes the absence of recognizable imagery speak volumes. Curator: Absolutely, it invites us to interrogate our expectations. What constitutes 'art'? Where is value located? These questions resonate now perhaps even more acutely. Editor: A stimulating piece indeed; hopefully it sparks further critical reflection for those visiting it.