Print 1 1967

Editor: Here we have Bernard Cohen’s "Print 1," from the Tate collection. It's essentially a field of off-white with a series of progressively darker dots. What do you make of such minimalist imagery? Curator: I see this as a commentary on the commodification of abstract art. Think about the cultural value placed on originality versus repetition, and how Cohen plays with those ideas. Does the seriality diminish its artistic merit, or amplify it? Editor: That’s interesting. So, you see the dots as a kind of commentary? I was just thinking about the quietness of the piece, but didn’t consider the implications. Curator: Precisely. Consider the socio-political context in which Cohen was working. What institutions validated this kind of work? How did the art market influence its creation and reception? Editor: I hadn't really thought about the market forces at play. It definitely gives me a new perspective. Curator: It's a reminder that even seeming simplicity can have complex roots.