Untitled 1977

Editor: Here we have Leon Berkowitz's "Untitled" from 1977, made with watercolors. It feels ethereal, like looking at a hazy sunset. The colours are soft, blending seamlessly. What do you see in this piece from your perspective? Curator: As a materialist, I am drawn to understanding how Berkowitz achieved this effect. Watercolors are inherently about control and lack thereof. Observing how the artist manipulated this balance to create this hazy effect reveals the core labour involved. Consider the paper; its absorbency and texture dictated the flow. What type did Berkowitz use and how did that contribute to the final piece? Editor: That's a really interesting point. I hadn't considered the type of paper at all. I was focused on the colour relationships, the blending. Curator: Right, and consider the market pressures. Post-war, abstract expressionism had been commercialized, and color-field painting had taken hold. By embracing watercolour at this scale Berkowitz would be questioning the demand for easily commodified work, such as traditional oil. Editor: So, choosing watercolors was a deliberate act against the market's expectations of what "high" art should be, using the ‘lowly’ watercolors to undermine that hierarchy. Did Berkowitz use any unusual methods of applying the paint? Curator: We would need more information, but he might be using a sponge or sprayer to achieve such diffusion. Knowing more about these precise gestures, the exact steps involved, the precise composition of the paints themselves--would tell us much about Berkowitz’s artistic intentions, wouldn’t it? Editor: Yes, absolutely. That shifts my understanding quite a bit, from a dreamy landscape to a more grounded understanding of the work and how its maker confronted or commented on the context he was operating in. Curator: Indeed. Examining the material conditions helps demystify the artwork and connect it to broader societal forces.