Canvas fragment c. 20th century

Editor: Here we have Barnett Newman’s "Canvas fragment," of indeterminate date. It's literally just a small piece of canvas, stained, roughly cut. What am I supposed to make of this? What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's about deconstructing the heroic, isn't it? Look at the raw materiality, the unprimed canvas, the crude staining – this shifts the focus from the finished product to the very act of making. Editor: So, it's not about the final art object, but about… the labor and materials? Curator: Precisely. It challenges the art world's fetish for perfection and elevates the process, the inherent qualities of the canvas itself. What narratives of production does this invoke for you? Editor: I see now, a focus on the materiality itself, not some grand artistic statement. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, a fragment can speak volumes.