Zittende Vrouw 1965

Curator: Right now we're looking at "Zittende Vrouw," or "Seated Woman" by Anton Heyboer, a mixed-media collage from 1965. Editor: Whoa, this has real visceral energy. The bold strokes of orange almost leap off the canvas against the aged paper. Is it just me, or is there something faintly unsettling here too? Curator: Heyboer often incorporated found materials, like newsprint as you can see, reflecting a fascination with societal detritus. Collage itself has a long association with avant-garde practices, so the art work fits squarely into discourses around institutional critique. Editor: Exactly! It feels like visual noise, layers upon layers of information and then this striking figure imposed over the top, almost like a rebellion. I mean look at this explosive mark making. Does that scream freedom or just chaotic impulse? Curator: That is interesting, as this chaotic energy is actually quite deliberate, born from Heyboer's interest in Abstract Expressionism. It is also likely a reflection of the social anxieties and upheaval during the 60s, though there might be something in his own biography worth reflecting on. His history involves institutionalization and even periods living as a self-declared hermit. Editor: It is really quite revealing, isn't it? Almost as if you are getting direct access to the raw underbelly of consciousness. And those flashes of bright orange paint; there’s defiance, and maybe even, hope bursting through the layered complexities. What really interests me, as well, is that in spite of all the fragmentation, and perhaps, chaos, there is still this seated figure--even if distorted or unfinished--to be recognized! Curator: Indeed, and maybe it prompts us to recognize what it means to be sitting within this world. This interplay of recognizable form amidst abstract textures that ask more of us, more awareness. It serves as an invitation, possibly, to reflect upon both our internal states, as well as a moment in history. Editor: Right, an uncomfortable mirror. Well, I definitely won't be forgetting "Zittende Vrouw" anytime soon!