Painted canvas fragment c. 20th century

Editor: Here we have Barnett Newman’s *Painted canvas fragment*, with no specific date, housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It's quite small, just a bit of raw canvas with a splash of red paint. What is your interpretation of this little piece? Curator: I see Newman engaging directly with the materiality of art-making. Look at the exposed weave of the canvas, the raw edges, and the visible application of the pigment. It asks us to consider the labor and process inherent in creating even a monumental work. Where does the "art" truly reside? Editor: So, it's almost a peek behind the curtain, revealing the basics? Curator: Precisely. It challenges our assumptions about artistic value and consumption. Is the fragment itself art, or is it a relic of a larger artistic process, imbued with value by its connection to Newman's larger body of work and the market surrounding it? Editor: That’s a new way to consider it. Thanks!