Girl and Cat 1969

Editor: We're looking at "Girl and Cat," a 1969 acrylic on canvas painting by Charles Blackman. It's definitely striking – raw and expressive. I’m immediately drawn to the visible brushstrokes and how the figures almost melt into one another. What’s your take on this piece? Curator: For me, it begins with the acrylic itself. Its relatively recent introduction as a material at the time offered Blackman new possibilities. Look at the luminosity he achieves. The layering, that build-up of pigment. The social context is also crucial. Blackman’s personal life was tumultuous in this period. Is the work reflecting the breakdown of social conventions around the nude and the portrayal of women during this era? Is Blackman using the female form in relation to the pet, and in doing so highlighting relationships and their fragility? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn't considered the materiality of the acrylic itself influencing the work's message. It makes me wonder about other ways Blackman used new materials or techniques to challenge the traditional portrayal of nudes, or maybe other female portraits from that time. Do you think the quick-drying nature of acrylics affected the gestural style, too? Curator: Precisely. And how does that gestural style relate to the burgeoning feminist art movements challenging the male gaze within art production itself? We can also consider the economic factors – were acrylics a cheaper alternative to oils, opening up artmaking to a broader demographic of artists? Blackman has used relatively large quantities of pigment in this painting. Is he seeking to create some distance, almost like a caricature, rather than some direct, visceral engagement? Editor: Wow, I never would have considered how material availability and economic factors can shape both style and subject so profoundly. Curator: Exactly! Thinking about art in terms of materials and social factors transforms how we interpret meaning. Hopefully our dialogue will provoke other questions that invite future study of "Girl and Cat."