Canvas fragment c. 20th century

Curator: Here we have Barnett Newman's "Canvas fragment" from the collection of the Harvard Art Museums. It is an irregular piece, about 7 by 5 1/2 inches. Editor: It looks so unassuming, almost like a discarded rag. A piece of something larger, perhaps? Curator: Precisely! Newman, of course, is known for his large-scale color field paintings. This remnant allows us to consider the building blocks of his monumental works. Perhaps this was a practice piece. Editor: I'm drawn to the raw, unprimed canvas. You can see the weave, the texture, the very stuff of artmaking. It speaks to the labor involved. Curator: Indeed. The very lack of a "finished" image allows us to project our own interpretations, to see the potential within the material. Editor: It makes me think about the value we place on completed works versus the processes of creation. Curator: A powerful question evoked by such a small object. Editor: It is a testament to how much a humble fragment can communicate.