Labyrinth II 1972

Editor: Here we have Lau Heidendael’s "Labyrinth II," a print from 1972. It’s…intriguing. The figures are abstracted and almost hidden within these blocks of cool blues and greens. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: What immediately catches my eye is the way Heidendael seems to be using abstraction as a way to both reveal and conceal the figure, and I see this reflecting a larger conversation in feminist theory around visibility and invisibility, especially within the domestic sphere. Considering its creation in 1972, how do you read its interplay between public presentation and private experiences for women? Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn’t considered that at all. So the way the figures almost blend into the background...is that a comment on societal expectations? Curator: Precisely. It invites us to question who is seen and who is overlooked and why, using colour and form. Are they really figures, or fragmented representations of the expectations loaded upon women during that era? Editor: It really makes you think about the roles they might have been forced to play and the constraints placed upon them. Are the harsh colors suggesting the tensions involved? Curator: The colors absolutely contribute. I also consider what those cool, blocky shapes communicate. The visual effect speaks volumes about power structures within social narratives and political undertones of visibility, identity, and the suppression or embracing of female narratives. It begs the questions: which faces are highlighted, and why? What purpose does each figure serve in shaping these expectations of social behavior? Editor: I'm starting to see this print in a whole new light now. It's much more than just an arrangement of colors and shapes. Curator: Indeed! The brilliance is how Heidendael uses these elements to encourage discussions around feminism and gender roles that are just as relevant today as they were in 1972.