Abstract in Green and Purple 1973

Curator: We're looking at Willem de Looper's "Abstract in Green and Purple," a watercolor drawing from 1973. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: My first impression is…restrained. There's a quiet, almost melancholic feeling evoked by these soft bands of muted color. It feels like a Rothko, but less monumental. Curator: It is tempting to relate the image to Rothko! Considering Looper’s background as a State Department employee, such abstraction takes on interesting contexts; there is an austerity and process that speaks to the history of the work, like so many government documents and reports with layers of corrections over time. Editor: I find it interesting you frame this in relation to documentation. It shifts how I see it! I was initially caught up in the simple geometry: horizontal lines, a limited color palette of grays and greens. Are there particular symbols, you believe? What cultural memory can these colors trigger? Curator: I’d resist isolating this to personal symbolism, I want to read these choices within broader societal values. For instance, we know de Looper created this abstract composition from watercolor washes. In its materiality alone we are provided context; a seemingly ephemeral technique but in tension with the stark imagery Editor: I get that, especially if we look at it as part of the broader shift towards minimalism. But it's also fascinating to think about color associations. Green, for example, is often linked to nature, growth, even envy. Purple has its own royal, spiritual baggage. Do any of those come into play? Curator: Possibly, although this strikes me more as a flattening of those signifiers rather than a direct engagement with them. The repeated process of layering washes flattens down what one might find in more overt symbolism of purple, and green. In a sense, we are looking at the process as a political act, breaking down conventional boundaries of the image. Editor: I can appreciate that reading. Ultimately, though, what sticks with me is the raw, almost somber atmosphere. Regardless of its place within a socio-political framework, these washes create a palpable mood. Curator: Absolutely. Looking at the artwork, my perception shifts, recognizing both the process and potential meaning as we come to a nuanced and insightful conclusion.