Angle Noir 1989

Editor: This is "Angle Noir," created in 1989 by Aurélie Nemours, using acrylic paint. The juxtaposition of the blue and red blocks against the stark black is surprisingly intense, almost confrontational. What do you make of this piece? Curator: Well, considering Nemours' place within geometric abstraction, especially her engagement with hard-edge painting and colour-field painting, I think the reduction to these basic forms and colours isn't just about aesthetics. It’s a commentary on how visual language can be distilled to its purest form. Think about the sociopolitical context; 1989 was a year of significant upheaval. Does this distilled language of abstraction reflect a desire for clarity amidst that chaos, perhaps? Editor: I hadn’t considered that. So, you're suggesting the painting is less about the pleasing arrangement of shapes and more about... communication? Curator: Precisely. Minimalism, particularly geometric abstraction, often provokes that question: what *is* being communicated, if anything at all? Considering the institutions that supported and exhibited Nemours' work, do you think the embrace of abstraction was itself a kind of political statement, separate from explicit imagery? Editor: A rejection of the figurative maybe? And what was acceptable... I guess, whose standards was she rejecting? Curator: Exactly! What does it mean to create art that doesn't rely on easily recognizable symbols within a society saturated with images and political messages? How does a gallery shape and change such a message just by showing this type of art? Editor: That gives me a lot to consider, viewing it now as an active choice, challenging norms beyond just artistic style. Curator: Indeed. The placement and reception of such work becomes a crucial part of understanding its broader significance. I am seeing abstraction beyond form alone. Editor: Thanks! I feel like I am starting to perceive geometric art and color through the filter of context and challenge, opening many angles for discussion, indeed.