Untitled (Railroad) 1950

Curator: This is Jean David’s "Untitled (Railroad)," painted in 1950 using tempera on perhaps a paper support. Quite a busy composition. Editor: Yes, almost aggressively so! It feels like an explosion of forms, these geometric shapes vying for dominance across the surface. So many blocks of contrasting color. What a wild scene. Curator: Indeed. Notice how David uses Cubist techniques to fragment and reassemble familiar objects like trains, houses, and landscapes, creating a complex interplay of spatial relationships. Consider how he breaks down the elements of a cityscape and reforms it. Editor: It makes me consider the labour that went into building these infrastructures: the train, tracks and houses – perhaps they are symbols of progress during the period. But beyond their face value, there’s something disjointed here, not necessarily in a bad way. Almost as though the industrial development in the painting consumes and destroys rural ways of living, like how there are disjointed landscape sections within the frame. I do appreciate the material rawness here: there's a real hands-on quality from applying tempera paint, a clear process of making in each layer. Curator: Interesting point. I hadn't thought about that, although my mind focuses on the formal arrangements and less on production processes. Look closely at the color palette; the limited selection contributes significantly to the work's emotional impact. Do you find the same? Editor: I think the visual interest definitely makes one ignore or rather miss the tactile nature of what is at play and what is at work. In my view, it is about getting one involved, while reminding oneself of how these spaces were constructed. The somewhat abstracted but recognisable features certainly aid in such endeavor, the painting comes off very immediate, in a curious way. What do you take away after seeing it? Curator: Ultimately, I consider how it engages the visual tensions between representation and abstraction, creating an atmosphere of constant interplay. I feel there is no need for definitive interpretation. Editor: For me it is that despite an aggressive formal style there's a quiet dignity here; a salute to ordinary labourers within industry.