The Blue Robe 1962

Editor: Here we have Will Barnet's "The Blue Robe," created in 1962 using oil paint. It strikes me as a painting intensely focused on geometric forms. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Focusing solely on the internal structure of the painting, notice how Barnet organizes the figures. The geometric precision contrasts with the fluidity implied by the presence of figures: two human forms, and that of the feline in repose. Editor: It almost looks like the cat is draped along that blue fabric, merging together as geometric patterns rather than discernible creatures. The people even have a geometrical and rigid feel about them. Curator: Exactly! Barnet's flattening of space demands that we address how his aesthetic operates through purely formal terms. Consider the spatial ambiguities generated by the relationship between planar surfaces: the red rectangle below the woman blends into her features. Editor: So it's less about representing real people, and more about manipulating forms and colors in a self-contained way? The blue and red really create a powerful visual dynamic. Curator: Precisely. Notice too the simplification of shapes. It allows us to decode the composition using our structural awareness of how signs generate symbolic codes. What effect does it create by diminishing realistic or proportional aspects of the human figure? Editor: By reducing the forms, it pushes us away from narrative, I suppose, inviting us to just look at the pure form of this geometric game? Curator: Indeed. It becomes an exercise in seeing, prioritizing composition, structure and planar relationships, and minimizing anything resembling representation. Editor: I'm starting to see the power of this purely visual analysis, removing the narrative expectations. Thank you for the explanation, it opened up my vision! Curator: You’re most welcome. The value lies precisely in refining our perception through internal compositional dynamics.