Untitled (#35) 1946

Curator: Welcome, I'm delighted to introduce you to Ronald Bladen’s "Untitled (#35)", a charcoal drawing on paper from 1946. Editor: My initial reaction is one of quiet intensity. The dark, striated background is broken by what seems to be a pale, radiating form, almost like an explosion captured in charcoal. Curator: It's a striking piece, especially considering the socio-political atmosphere of the post-war period. The dominance of abstract expressionism at this time was greatly influenced by artists seeking to express their internal landscapes following a global crisis. Bladen's work reflects this. Editor: The composition feels unbalanced, purposefully so. That radiant shape is placed quite high, leaving a vast, textured darkness below. The weight of the lower half is palpable, drawing the eye to that sense of… unresolved tension. How does this relate to Bladen’s place in art history? Curator: Bladen later moved towards monumental sculpture. Early works, like this drawing, allow insight into his early exploration of form and space which informed these later sculptural pieces. There’s an undeniable rawness to his approach here. We see that within abstract expressionism and the impact this has upon fine art within America. Editor: I’m intrigued by the charcoal itself. The medium is so immediate, so direct. There's an erasure in it that leaves a ghost trace of previous marks which plays with the tension and anxiety portrayed in the artwork. The texture becomes as important as the shapes. Curator: Indeed. The gestural lines are part of a wider practice of art responding to both trauma and the evolution of the medium. It offers an invaluable insight into the post-war American psyche, reflecting wider societal mood and responses. Editor: I hadn't considered how this work prefigures his later sculpture. That radiant form almost seems like a blueprint for the imposing structures to come. Seeing it this way alters my sense of Bladen's evolution as an artist. Curator: Hopefully, it's given a glimpse of not only the historical climate that bred abstract expressionism, but Ronald Bladen’s early practice as well. Editor: It’s given me a newfound appreciation for how a simple charcoal drawing can contain such powerful, unresolved feelings.