Untitled 1965

Curator: Roland Petersen created this "Untitled" piece in 1965, working with acrylic paint to render this cityscape. Editor: Immediately striking is how vibrant the colors are, almost aggressively so! The artist really laid the acrylic on thick, it seems. The brushstrokes are visible and give it a certain rawness. Curator: The visible brushstrokes point to the artist's hand, disrupting the clean finish often associated with the medium of acrylic. This technique connects it more strongly with the traditions of painting itself. I'd say it leans toward Expressionism. Editor: Absolutely, you sense a definite emotional investment from the artist. The blue palm tree feels…unexpected. Palms are classic tropical symbols, of course. Is it just me or does the blue, repeated throughout, carry a kind of melancholy in contrast with those bright greens and reds? Curator: Interesting point! Think of how synthetic acrylic paint was when Petersen chose to employ it in 1965. These hues speak volumes about technological advancements in materials during the 1960s, when painting departed from natural pigments more freely. Editor: And that repetition might link it to a tradition. Color carries such heavy psychological and cultural weight. What else catches your attention? Curator: Well, consider how acrylic allowed him to create a sense of layered density; think about Petersen layering these shades as a form of material expression. Editor: I suppose it's a challenge to consider urban environments or suburbia. Curator: This is why paying attention to materiality matters. It reminds us of the conditions of artistic production and reception. Editor: And for me, it’s those flashes of potent color that lodge in the memory. Curator: An interesting perspective. For me it’s a piece about material innovation.