Composition 

Editor: Here we have Jean Fautrier's "Composition," a mixed-media work. Its tactile, almost violent surface evokes a sense of unease. What socio-historical narrative is at play here? Curator: I see this as a powerful embodiment of post-war trauma. Fautrier's "matter paintings," with their layers of thick impasto and raw textures, actively resisted traditional notions of beauty and instead embraced the abject. He developed this style while living near a Nazi detention camp during the Second World War, so this layering and crude material may respond to atrocities he experienced. Do you find resonance between the materials used and these concepts? Editor: Yes, absolutely. The colour and rough textures definitely make me think about suffering. I initially saw unease, but suffering fits so well. So this technique, this "matter painting," can we think of it as a political act itself, a refusal to aestheticize violence? Curator: Precisely. Think about it this way: the very materiality of the work challenges the viewer to confront uncomfortable truths, mirroring the destabilization of identity and social structures that were shattered during the war. These works function as monuments or memorials. What political or social forces might have influenced the way it was displayed and discussed? Editor: Knowing the context enriches the experience. It moves from just an abstract piece to a profound historical commentary. Curator: I agree. This gives "Composition" so much more nuance.