Blue and Green 1968

Curator: Robert Goodnough's "Blue and Green," a mixed media work from 1968, offers a fascinating case study in the evolution of abstract expressionism. Editor: Oh, immediately I see clouds… Or maybe fractured icebergs? Something elemental. It's oddly soothing, yet unsettling, this gentle chaos. Curator: Goodnough was deeply invested in challenging the heroic individualism often associated with the Abstract Expressionists. This piece really showcases his interest in decentralized compositions, moving away from the dominating gesture. Editor: Right, because it feels almost democratic, the way each fragment of color, like these paper shards maybe, holds its own space but also contributes to the larger form? No hierarchy here! Curator: Precisely! The juxtaposition of "Blue and Green," placed as separate, yet similar organic forms invites critical questions of color theory and the socio-political context of color segregation. One could examine how color palettes historically dictated power structures within modernism itself. Editor: Whoa, that’s deep. I just felt a kinda breezy openness and the simple delight of contrasting, slightly muted tones dancing together on a pale field. I imagine him scattering shapes. Happy accidents? Curator: While spontaneous gesture certainly has its place, remember the work’s grounding in the geometric abstraction of the era. The hard edges imply a deliberate arrangement that pushes back against readings of total chance. Editor: Fair enough. Yet, for me, the raw-edged paper, if it *is* paper, gives it this wonderful fragility. I feel this strange mix of serenity and almost pre-apocalyptic energy. Like nature after…something. Curator: Considering that this artwork was created in the late sixties, amidst significant global conflict, your read hits home. It shows, perhaps, an awareness, or even critique of society fracturing into different, almost combative factions, mirroring those fragmented planes of color. Editor: So there you have it. Art – always speaking even when you think it's just showing! I leave you with those oceanic, cloud-like forms... What stories might *you* find floating in "Blue and Green"? Curator: Indeed. It’s worth meditating on these formal arrangements – considering, finally, the ever present influence of social narrative on supposed formalism.