PAINTING IN SPACE 1929

Editor: We are looking at Yervand Kochar’s “Painting in Space,” created around 1929. It’s a mixed-media work, primarily paint. There is this almost tribal mask-like quality. It feels very constructivist to me. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: What interests me is not just the final form, but the process of its making. Given its date, I'm curious about Kochar's access to materials. Was he working under constraints? What sort of labor was required to create such a piece? Was the act of making itself a form of resistance or a comment on social structures? Editor: I hadn’t considered the socioeconomic aspects. It's true; access to quality materials couldn’t have been universally accessible, especially then. How does that context change our interpretation? Curator: Consider the texture of the paint, the possible layering of materials to create form. It speaks to resourcefulness. This piece likely represents not just an aesthetic statement but also the ingenuity necessitated by circumstance. Who were the suppliers and did he give thought to how he acquired the materials? Editor: So you are thinking less about its formal cubist or portrait aspects and focusing more on its existence as an object within a specific economy? Curator: Precisely. How does the act of creation, and the resources consumed, speak to the societal values and material conditions of its time? Editor: That shifts my perspective significantly. I was initially captivated by the abstract face, the formal aspects. But now I find myself contemplating the social labor and constraints implied by its very construction. Curator: It is a dance, always a conversation between what the art presents and how the world shapes its creation. Editor: Definitely. This approach really broadens my understanding of this painting. Thank you!