Excerpt (Suprematist Evasion) 2003

Editor: Right now we're looking at Julie Mehretu's "Excerpt (Suprematist Evasion)" created in 2003, using acrylic paint. The sheer energy in this abstract work is astounding, almost like a burst of light and color. How do you interpret this work? Curator: For me, it speaks to the power of geometric forms, recalling Malevich's Suprematism, but with a frenetic energy that suggests something else entirely. Look at the layering— it's a visual record, a kind of palimpsest of urban experience. Do you see how the lines and shapes seem to simultaneously converge and explode outward? Editor: Yes, there's a sense of movement, like a city being built and destroyed at the same time. Is that what you mean by urban experience? Curator: Exactly. Mehretu’s work often engages with the layered complexities of urban landscapes. The Suprematist title hints at a break from established orders. These shattered geometric shapes feel like a revolt against rigid systems. Do you recognize how certain lines are bolder and more prominent than others? Editor: Yes, those lines stand out. Curator: Perhaps representing major arteries or pathways through our mental cityscapes, personal mythologies projected in a collective manner. How do the colors impact you, and their role in guiding your sight? Editor: I feel the yellows and reds draw the eye through what would otherwise be chaotic. The blue feels colder in the background... so you see those are emotional signals too, maybe? Curator: Indeed. Notice how the vibrant, assertive lines clash with the paler background, evoking a struggle or tension between different layers of history and experience. They can exist harmoniously, so where is the rupture occurring for you, personally? What historical symbols feel challenged or lost? Editor: That’s such a helpful insight – it definitely reframes my initial feeling of just raw energy. Now I am pondering personal memories, even social anxieties projected onto a wider historical perspective. Curator: And, to me, this artwork remains fascinating to see evolve our conversation within us as it speaks to others, continually changing, challenging us, making art still alive.