Spiked Red 1969

Curator: Let's consider Pat Lipsky's "Spiked Red" from 1969. What are your first impressions? Editor: This watercolor painting showcases layers of undulating lines in various hues; mainly reds, oranges, and blues. It feels very fluid and dynamic, yet grounded in its horizontal composition. I wonder, how does the creation process influence the final look of this work? Curator: A great question! Look at the way Lipsky uses watercolor. Its fluidity and potential for staining become active agents in the work. The painting isn't just *representing* waves; it's *embodying* a material process that echoes their movement. Editor: So the choice of watercolor isn't just about aesthetic effect, but also about engaging with the medium’s properties. How does the "craft" relate to the Colour Field movement it's often associated with? Curator: Exactly. The scale and deliberate execution point to the Colour Field tradition, yes, but we must consider how Lipsky simultaneously acknowledges and perhaps subverts established hierarchies. Where those paintings evoke industrial production through size and flatness, Lipsky exposes the labor and chance inherent in her artistic decisions. What kind of labor do you think goes into achieving this seemingly simple composition? Editor: I see. There's the preparation of the watercolor washes, the careful layering to achieve those blends and gradients. Also, isn’t it tricky to control watercolor and prevent it from becoming muddy, or am I mistaken? Curator: Indeed. Controlling the bleed and the even distribution is an exercise in managing the material. The visible drips and stains around the edges disrupt any illusions of perfect control. So, by emphasizing the material reality and the labor involved, do you believe Lipsky opens up dialogue about value, artistic skill and material culture? Editor: Definitely! This makes me view abstraction in an entirely new light; where I understand abstraction by viewing labour that produces the abstract, the beauty of chance. It definitely challenged my conventional view on art. Curator: Same here, examining art through a materialist lens really opens new understanding for both of us!