Circuse 1984

Curator: Eric Massholder's "Circuse" painted in 1984 is a vibrant explosion of form. He rendered it with acrylic paint. It’s really something, isn’t it? Editor: Indeed, the high contrast certainly grabs you. Those undulating shapes – some almost organic, others hinting at figures – create a sense of both dynamism and a kind of contained chaos. The intense reds contrasted with cool blues...it almost feels like the inside of a dream. Curator: Massholder’s work in the 80’s intersected with Neo-Expressionism and a return to figuration. Think of how art was consumed as a commodity during the Reagan era. How did painting challenge or capitulate to a culture of spectacle? His palette echoes Fauvism but then those abstracted forms evoke Graffiti or Pop Art. It challenges what is 'high' and 'low'. Editor: It does – the jumbled arrangement almost resembles graffiti tags layered over each other. But then the simplified forms carry such primal weight. Take the horse – reduced to an elegant outline yet retaining such power. The white form arcing through the canvas--the dancer, perhaps?--evokes freedom, but it is framed and almost imprisoned by the swirling colours. Curator: Well, he titled it "Circuse." This begs the question – does this artwork attempt to explore human movement, maybe referencing Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec? To me, the layering effect almost evokes collage—that Modernist breaking of the picture plane-- and that could reference something beyond traditional painting too, you know? Editor: Precisely! And what of that masked figure nestled at the bottom? There’s something profoundly vulnerable about that face in contrast to the kinetic energy above it. That hints at deeper layers of symbolism at play beneath the dazzling surface of movement and bright colours. I wonder what that is suggesting…a sacrifice, a hidden cost? Curator: That reading, while intriguing, highlights how the art market can commodify ‘outsider’ status. What I mean is the romanticisation of hidden symbols sometimes overshadows socio-historical meanings… We’re left unsure whether we critique the system or admire its capacity for visual impact, perhaps! Editor: An excellent point – this painting then becomes a mirror reflecting our own expectations of the ‘authentic’ and 'provocative'. Well, whatever else it might be, it’s a painting that stays with you. Curator: Absolutely, one that demands attention and offers many avenues for interpretation.