Painted canvas fragment c. 20th century

Editor: Here we have Barnett Newman's "Painted canvas fragment." It's just a small piece, but the color is so vibrant! What do you make of it? Curator: The real question is, what was Newman consuming and rejecting when he chose to isolate this fragment? How does this relate to the larger canvases he produced and to the history of canvas production itself? Editor: So you're thinking about the waste? Curator: Exactly! Its status as leftover material asks us to reconsider the entire artistic process, from stretching the canvas to the final brushstroke. Editor: I never considered the labor involved. Curator: Precisely. It is a challenging piece. It is really about seeing beyond the surface, it's about the materiality and the process behind it. I'm glad we got to explore this together. Editor: Me too! I'm now considering all the unseen efforts that went into its creation.