Series Painting 10 1966

Curator: Good morning. We are standing before Ronnie Landfield's "Series Painting 10," a striking acrylic on canvas completed in 1966. Editor: The flatness is immediately apparent. The colours almost vibrate, particularly the juxtaposition of that pastel turquoise and the acid yellow rectangle framing it. Curator: Precisely. This piece exemplifies hard-edge painting, a style defined by clean lines, flat surfaces, and clearly delineated areas of color. Notice how Landfield uses the geometric shapes, these rectangles within rectangles, to create spatial relationships on a single plane. The black, the pale peach, then that sun yellow, all grounding the dreamy central colour. Editor: It’s interesting to consider this in '66. The sleekness contrasts the gestural abstraction that was still hanging around, while anticipating the slick surface and industrial feel that become part of so much art later on. I'm wondering what kind of brushes he would have used to create such perfect edges? Were these techniques embraced by sign painters or even industrial applications at the time? Curator: A relevant inquiry! Landfield and his peers aimed to detach the artwork from any representation or emotional expression, focusing solely on the interaction of color and form. The title, "Series Painting 10," reinforces this objective approach, indicating the painting as an iteration within a larger exploration. Editor: But despite that intention, there is still an undeniable aesthetic impact. A visual language constructed from such basic blocks generates emotional potential. How deliberate was that "coolness," I wonder? Did the act of masking the canvas bring satisfaction through labor? This painting's making and message, for me, highlight an exciting conflict in postwar art making. Curator: It certainly prompts ongoing dialogue. Thanks for helping unpack that some more. Editor: My pleasure. Thinking about colour and line will stay with me a while.