Opus 11 1965 - 1968

Editor: Here we have Naum Gabo's "Opus 11," a print with a lovely warm tone. It feels almost like an abstracted eye, or maybe a keyhole. What symbolic meanings can we unpack here? Curator: Well, circles in art often represent wholeness, eternity, the self. What about the linear elements enclosed within? Do they evoke a sense of confinement or perhaps focused energy? Editor: Focused energy, I think. The lines seem to orbit something central. Curator: Gabo was deeply interested in space and time, and how they interact. Consider how this print uses a limited palette to suggest vastness, like a cosmos contained within a circle. How does this resonate with you? Editor: It makes me think about how our internal world is contained within our bodies, reflecting the universe itself. Curator: Precisely! These shapes and their arrangement may evoke collective cultural memories and shared human experiences. Editor: I never thought of it that way, but it really does open the artwork up. Thanks!