Untitled 2012

Curator: Tiberiy Szilvashi’s "Untitled" piece from 2012, made with acrylic on canvas, is holding my gaze. The dark palette… how does it strike you? Editor: It's like peering into a quiet, contemplative space, isn't it? The layered blues and purples—it feels heavy with unshed feelings. A kind of solemn, almost regal mood emanates. Curator: Absolutely, a weightiness there. And it's all built on simple geometry, these rectangles butting up against each other. Do you feel a tension, almost a push and pull between those forms, or more of a harmonious dialogue? Editor: I think it’s more push-and-pull, Curator. The asymmetry in that central rectangle pushes against the grounding horizon of the broader form; the texture and varying darkness fight with the simple shape, complicating the monochrome. I want to consider how the lack of narrative and symbolism creates that feeling. Abstraction, in itself, can become a political act, particularly against prescribed aesthetics. Curator: That is a terrific reading, one I hadn't considered myself! Thinking of it in that manner does push it into a different conceptual realm for me. When viewing art of this style I generally lean into the freedom offered, allowing for more intuitive reflections to arise. It is interesting how subjective this method can be. I'm curious about Szilvashi's mindset while painting this. Was he wrestling with certain social ideas that manifested unconsciously through his abstraction? Editor: Right, and we can't divorce this work from its historical context, or the socio-political landscape influencing it. When art resists easy categorization, it makes space for conversations around societal norms. I always try to question, whose narratives are being elevated and who’s voices are being hushed. Curator: Yes! It seems we are both walking away with some ideas of where to go next with the work—both in dialogue and within the artwork itself. Editor: Indeed, Curator! What at first appeared subdued now hums with possibilities, all those silent dialogues whispering beneath the paint.