Digit III 2002

Editor: Here we have Gloria Ortiz-Hernandez's "Digit III," a monochromatic piece of gray on white. It's so subtle, almost like a fading memory. What cultural weight does this image carry for you? Curator: The square, in its stark simplicity, echoes ancient cosmologies. Think of the mandala, or even a blank canvas before creation. Does this simplicity evoke a sense of the infinite for you? Editor: I see that, a potential for the infinite. It also makes me think of minimalist art...but is it reaching back further than that? Curator: Perhaps Ortiz-Hernandez is asking us to consider the very origins of representation, to strip away the layers of cultural baggage and confront the fundamental act of marking. Editor: That’s fascinating. I had not considered the symbol of the mark, and how this ties to so much. Curator: Precisely. It is about seeing beyond the surface and recognizing the deep human impulse to create meaning.