Double Kite 1981

Editor: Here we have Charles Hinman’s "Double Kite" from 1981, a mixed-media sculpture that really pops. It strikes me as deceptively simple, almost like folded paper, but the shapes and colors are so vibrant. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It’s more than just vibrant; it’s about the silent language of shapes. Think of geometric abstraction, not just as design, but as a modern form of hieroglyphs. The hard edges, the specific color choices—do they not resonate with a deeper symbolic order? Consider the kite itself: freedom, aspiration, but also fragility, reliance on forces unseen. Hinman presents us with *two* kites – a duplication which suggests perhaps conflicting desires or perspectives. Editor: That's fascinating! So you’re suggesting that these shapes aren't arbitrary? That the choice of geometric forms is itself a symbolic language? Curator: Precisely. Think of the triangle – in many cultures, it represents stability, direction, even divinity. And consider color theory – the psychological weight of a vibrant orange versus the coolness of a stark white, combined here in unexpected relation with that surprising burst of teal and grounded by stark black at the base. What might such color and structural relationships tell us about societal anxieties or subconscious aspirations prevalent at the time it was created? Editor: I hadn’t considered how the colours interact in such a direct and pointed way. Now, looking again, they evoke very different moods in each triangle! Curator: And doesn't this provoke you to examine the cultural narratives attached to these colours in that period? It's a complex statement about our collective dreams and anxieties. What remains is to explore this silent, yet persistent visual dialogue, across generations. Editor: I’m definitely seeing it in a new light. It’s almost like deciphering a visual code, much richer than I initially perceived. Thanks for that deep dive into the symbology of this sculpture!