Moving Forward 2009

Editor: We're looking at "Moving Forward," an acrylic painting by Rochelle Blumenfeld from 2009. It’s really interesting how the geometric shapes seem to burst outward from the center. It feels dynamic, like an explosion frozen in time. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The energy certainly captures the eye. To me, these converging and diverging shapes aren't just abstract forms. They are potent symbols. Think of how throughout history, light itself has been used to represent knowledge, divinity, progress. The movement in this piece... does it suggest to you a striving towards enlightenment, or perhaps a shattering of old structures? Editor: I can see both. There’s definitely a sense of breaking away, but toward what, exactly? Is it a positive or negative kind of change? Curator: Precisely. Ambiguity is the soul of symbolic language. Consider the palette – earthy tones, predominantly. Could these represent a grounding in the physical world, with those lighter rays striving for something beyond? Perhaps the painting references a tension between the material and the ethereal. It resonates with the cultural memory of spiritual awakenings in art, such as the Renaissance. Editor: So you’re saying it could be tapping into something deeper in our shared consciousness, even if we can't articulate it directly? Curator: Exactly! Blumenfeld’s abstraction becomes a vessel. It reminds us that images often operate on a subconscious level, shaping our perceptions. The interplay between form and color creates a visual metaphor – one we interpret through our individual and collective histories. What has been revealed for you from this reflection? Editor: I definitely appreciate the connection to history and cultural symbolism. I now see this isn't just about shapes and colours but about broader human experiences. Curator: Indeed! Art is about visual signs as evidence of thought made visible and thought experienced.