Sounding II 1958

Editor: So, this is Jack Sonenberg’s "Sounding II" from 1958, made with mixed media and printmaking techniques. I’m struck by the layering – the way different shapes and colors seem to compete and complement each other at the same time. What do you see happening in terms of the physical creation of this piece? Curator: The interesting thing for me is the evidence of the hand and the machine. We know this is a print, so there’s that element of mechanical reproduction. But the texture and the visible overlaps suggest a real labor, a building-up of material, maybe even a dialogue between the artist and the tools. Think about the kind of pressures and registrations necessary. Do you get a sense of process there? Editor: Absolutely! It feels like he's really exploring what he can do with the materials, almost pushing them to their limits. How does that experimental process connect with the broader context of abstract expressionism? Curator: Well, abstract expressionism was all about rejecting traditional forms, right? What Sonenberg does here is similar but also distinct: it challenges the divide between "high art" and craft by making visible the very process of making art. How is the woodblock made? How long does the printing process take, how many versions, how many steps? Do you think there is something rebellious here in elevating the mundane labor that often went unremarked upon in previous, more heroic visions of artistic genius? Editor: That makes total sense. I’d never considered the labour involved like that. It definitely reframes my understanding of the piece and how I consider it to be art. Curator: Precisely. Seeing the labor transforms the piece, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely. Now I want to know more about Sonenberg and his methods! Thank you!