Russian I 1975

Editor: Here we have Richard Smith’s "Russian I," a piece from the Tate Collection. The overlapping canvases and simple geometric shapes are quite striking. What do you see in this work? Curator: The work’s strength lies in its deconstruction of painting. Smith presents us not with a unified image, but with layered planes that challenge the traditional picture plane. Note how the simple geometric forms interact with the canvas edges. Editor: So, it’s less about the subject matter and more about the materials and how they’re arranged? Curator: Precisely. Smith’s "Russian I" invites us to contemplate the very essence of painting—its materiality, its structure, and its capacity for spatial illusion. Editor: That’s a fresh perspective; I now appreciate how the layering becomes the point of the work. Curator: Indeed. It is through such meticulous arrangement that Smith elevates ordinary materials to the realm of thoughtful art.