Untitled/Exquisite Corpse: The Complete Paintings of Manet 227 of 556 Baigneuses en Seine (Bathers in the Seine) 1874? 2012

Editor: So, this piece is called "Untitled/Exquisite Corpse: The Complete Paintings of Manet 227 of 556 Baigneuses en Seine (Bathers in the Seine) 1874?" created in 2012 by Stephen Prina. It appears to be a site-specific installation made of thin lines forming the shapes of rectangles, almost like empty picture frames hanging on the wall. It's so minimal; it almost disappears! What do you make of it? Curator: You know, sometimes less really is more, isn't it? I find this piece rather playful, actually. The artist, Stephen Prina, is known for his conceptual works that often engage with the history of art and music. This, I believe, is a ghost of Manet, haunting the gallery wall. Prina extracts the *essence* of the painting, leaving only the barest suggestion of form. Think of it as a haiku—evoking a much larger world with just a few carefully chosen lines. It asks: what is a painting, really? Is it the image, or the idea? The frame or what it contains? Editor: A ghost of Manet, that’s a great way to put it! It feels almost irreverent, stripping away so much. Is it meant to be critical, perhaps? Curator: Critical, perhaps, but also deeply respectful. It is as though Prina were whispering, "Remember Manet?" He reduces the painting to its most basic components. The emptiness is where we are meant to project our memories and understandings of Manet’s work. Have you seen Manet’s actual painting, "Bathers in the Seine?" Editor: I have. It is impressionistic with looser brushstrokes, right? Curator: Precisely. Prina challenges our perception. What do we remember of the original, and how does that fill the void in front of us? It becomes a dance between absence and presence. A memory triggered. What about the title intrigues you? Editor: The "Exquisite Corpse" bit, I guess. Referring to a Surrealist game and making it about the paintings of Manet. I feel like I want to revisit it armed with some new clues about art history now. Curator: Precisely! Perhaps art history is merely the ghost of styles past brought to life with a title. I learned the frame *is* the art sometimes and abstraction offers many ways to appreciate forms, which is useful moving forward!