Maw #23 1961

Editor: Right now, we're looking at Stephen Greene's "Maw #23," a watercolor and drawing created in 1961. There's a definite sense of...ambiguity here. I'm drawn to how these rather biomorphic shapes seem to float. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Floating is a great way to put it. Greene’s abstraction often feels like he's painting thoughts—not literal things, but the shapes feelings take. It's from his "Maw" series... Maws can be openings or threats. Which one feels right to you? Editor: Hmm...more of an opening. Maybe it's the softer colors that pull me that way. The way that yellow melts into peach makes the whole composition feel much calmer than I’d expect given the title. What was Greene trying to communicate with these forms? Curator: I wonder that myself. Artists like Greene aimed to express universal human experiences beyond what words could contain, that ineffable something... you know? Greene spent years exploring abstract shapes after serving in World War II, perhaps the act of abstracting was his means to make sense of the horrors he witnessed? Does the knowledge of his historical background influence your initial interpretation? Editor: Absolutely, it makes me rethink that opening. War creates openings in our lives, whether we choose to see them as opportunities or chasms, right? Curator: Precisely. These shapes cease to simply “float” when you consider it that way; the composition transforms into something heavier, more weighted with complex narratives and symbolic weight. Editor: I didn’t realize the title "Maw" could refer to so many possibilities simultaneously until we started talking, but now that is my main takeaway. I feel like I could look at this painting for another hour! Curator: And, like any good piece of art, it could keep rewarding your time with further insight and provocation. Thank you for your thoughts.