White Mass 1980

Editor: This is Robert Goodnough’s *White Mass*, created in 1980 using acrylic paint. It's a cloud of geometric shapes, almost like fragmented shards, floating on a canvas. What strikes me is how this abstraction seems to teeter between chaos and order. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a fascinating dialogue between post-war anxieties and the formal language of abstraction. Goodnough, working within Abstract Expressionism, offers us more than just aesthetic pleasure; he engages with the social and political climate of his time. The "white mass" itself can be interpreted through a lens of power, particularly hegemonic power, with its near-monochromatic palette subtly erasing other perspectives. The tiny shards of red interrupt this erasure but their fewness draws them into a state of vulnerability against the “white mass.” Do you see how the formal aspects can speak to larger socio-political structures? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn't considered the implications of the limited color palette and the fragmented forms in relation to power. So, the 'mass' could be interpreted as representing a dominant ideology or culture? Curator: Exactly. And the act of abstracting – taking something recognizable and breaking it down – can be seen as a deconstruction of that power. Goodnough isn’t just making a pretty picture; he’s critiquing, albeit subtly, the very systems in which he exists. The use of "white" itself has many art-historical implications too: think of whiteness as an aesthetic often coded with purity, cleanliness, even privilege. Editor: I never thought about abstract art having such an activist role. I was so caught up in the aesthetics that I hadn't considered the potential social commentary embedded within. Curator: That’s often the challenge, isn’t it? To move beyond the surface and delve into the deeper layers of meaning that artists often subtly encode within their work. This subtle activism still allows it to affect and influence those of the contemporary art community. Editor: It's given me a completely new perspective on how to approach abstract art. Thank you!