Untitled 203 (watercolor ball) 1965

Curator: Edward Avedisian's "Untitled 203," created in 1965. It's a striking example of his explorations with color and form. Editor: First impression? This makes me crave a creamsicle! The interplay of those mellow yellows and vivid oranges is so playful, like a sweet memory made visible. Curator: Avedisian was deeply engaged in the materiality of his art, especially his experiments with watercolor, like we see here. The gestural brushstrokes and the bleeding of colors point to a process-oriented approach. Editor: Absolutely, you can almost feel the water seeping into the paper. It's that looseness, that embrace of the unpredictable, that really captures me. It feels like summer afternoons and a childlike sense of wonder. Curator: Consider, too, the broader context of 1960s abstract painting. Artists were actively pushing against established norms, questioning what painting could be and how it could reflect the spirit of the time. This work fits neatly in this kind of inquiry with process and gesture taking precedence. Editor: I agree! But more than that, the painting, with its vibrant hues and energetic composition, evokes a sensation, an emotional frequency that buzzes with pure delight. There is something that rings honest about it, and earnest even in its artlessness. Curator: There is an immediacy in this painting that suggests a relatively rapid execution, perhaps in a single sitting, which gives us an intimate insight into Avedisian's working method at the time. And the social elements can be clearly traced through the material and production. Editor: Yeah! It’s fascinating to consider how the immediacy and vibrancy we respond to today were so consciously pursued through choices in materials and the work process. I definitely feel connected now with the method. Curator: Considering its place in Avedisian’s oeuvre, “Untitled 203” acts as a reminder to observe how abstraction becomes its own kind of direct material language. Editor: And for me? It just makes me happy. A creamsicle sunset on paper—what more could you want?