Orgy 1982

Curator: This striking acrylic on canvas from 1982 is entitled "Orgy," brought to life by Alexander Bogen. What leaps out at you when you first gaze upon it? Editor: Angular shapes in a sea of blues and yellows… the palette feels surprisingly… optimistic, considering the title. It makes me think of a cityscape at sunset. Curator: Ah, a cityscape – that’s interesting! I’m seeing it more as a primal expression, the raw energy and chaos of connection distilled into pure geometric form. Notice how Bogen contrasts those hard-edged forms with softer color blending, almost implying layers of emotional release. Editor: I’m with you on the energy. The colors really vibrate against each other! Yellow – joy, expansion – crashes headlong into deep, contemplative blue. Orange and peach flesh tones pop up to imply human drama amid this tempest. The triangle repeats. Could it symbolize… union? Tension? Curator: Exactly! Symbols embedded everywhere. Bogen isn’t just showing us shapes; he's constructing an emotional narrative. I read it as an allegory for modern desire—fragments of self striving toward integration. Each triangle, each block represents facets colliding in intimate congress. Editor: Intimate congress—I like that, curator. Though I still can't shake the feeling that the lack of clear figures allows a more generalized reading. I mean, it could also symbolize, say, societal turmoil reflected as a cacophony of forms? Curator: Well said, absolutely! Ambiguity serves intention in potent artwork like this, isn't that so? Editor: It does…I keep finding fresh readings. Bogen's ‘Orgy’ seems almost to contain multitudes in its abstraction! I imagine everyone carries their own interpretation into this room when observing it. Curator: I completely agree. Its evocative power comes from suggesting a multiplicity of realities… That's why his compositions stand out.