Moon's Milk 2009

Editor: So, this is John Hoyland's "Moon's Milk," created in 2009. It looks like mixed media, maybe acrylic and something else to give it that thick, impasto texture. My first thought is that central circle; it's like a portal, pulling you in. What do you see in this piece, especially given its title? Curator: The title "Moon's Milk" immediately suggests something lunar, ethereal, perhaps even alchemical. Given that context, that central portal, as you call it, reads to me as an eye. Not a literal eye, of course, but a symbol of cosmic consciousness or a spiritual gateway. Notice the radiating lines around the form, like light emanating outward, influencing everything else in the composition. Do you see any resemblance to mandalas in other spiritual traditions? Editor: I can see that, yes! The circular design with the radiating lines reminds me of Tibetan mandalas. Is it a visual symbol related to spiritual enlightenment or something like that? Curator: Perhaps, or maybe an expression of the artist's personal search for spiritual insight. Remember that Hoyland, though considered an abstract expressionist, was deeply interested in color theory and the emotional impact of certain hues. This particular combination of blues, yellows, and the hints of red, against the dark background, evoke specific moods and psychological states. What feelings does it awaken in you? Editor: Definitely a sense of mystery, like peeking into the unknown. The textures make me think of something ancient, almost prehistoric. It’s a little unsettling, but in a captivating way. I guess "Moon's Milk" suggests both purity and strangeness simultaneously. Curator: Precisely. And the milk could be understood in the symbolical connotation to the “source of wisdom”. Editor: This really highlights how abstraction can still hold so much symbolic weight. I'll never look at abstract art the same way again. Curator: And I, as well, after our little exchange. It makes me eager to revisit other abstract works and consider the unseen cultural echoes that may reverberate within their surfaces.