Untitled 

Editor: Here we have an Untitled watercolor by Lolo Soldevilla. The muted colors and geometric shapes give it a sort of calm, almost celestial feel. What can you tell me about this work? Curator: This piece speaks volumes about the socio-political constraints Soldevilla was facing as a Cuban artist. The deliberate use of such modest materials – watercolor on what appears to be ordinary paper – suggests a commentary on accessibility and resourcefulness. Do you see how these simple geometric forms might relate to the limited means available to artists at the time? Editor: I do now that you mention it. The repeated circles and squares, they feel very… controlled, maybe reflecting a lack of artistic freedom? Curator: Exactly. Let's consider the labor involved. Watercolor demands precision and control. Was she making a statement through this act of controlled, meticulous creation using readily available materials? How do you interpret the tension between the seemingly free-floating shapes and the grid implied by their arrangement? Editor: That makes me think about the circles... Could their varying sizes and colors represent the different people or ideas that were part of Cuban society back then, all interconnected but still distinct? Curator: A compelling interpretation! And notice the unpainted portions. Are those areas as important as what’s been rendered? How might they be seen as absences, deliberate omissions related to censorship or unspoken truths of Cuban experience? Editor: So it is not just an abstract geometric form, it’s also a quiet commentary about what was happening back then. Curator: Precisely. Seeing art through the lens of its production reveals the embedded politics within even seemingly innocuous forms. Editor: I'll definitely think about material and production differently going forward. Thanks!