The Rose 1966

Editor: So, this is Jay DeFeo's "The Rose," created in 1966. It’s a mixed-media piece, incredibly textured. I’m struck by its weight, both literally and figuratively; it feels almost like a monument, but to what? What do you make of this imposing piece? Curator: It's monumental, isn’t it? In its historical context, consider the mid-1960s, a period of significant social and political upheaval. DeFeo began "The Rose" in 1958 and worked on it obsessively for nearly eight years, embedding materials, building up layers and density. It defies the trend to make easily sold art. Its ambition runs counter to certain market forces and challenges accepted notions of artistic production at the time. Does that ambition come through to you? Editor: Absolutely, especially knowing she labored on it for so long. The physicality and labor become part of its statement. Is it meant to be seen as beautiful, or something else? Curator: The question of beauty is always tied to cultural values. During DeFeo’s time, Abstract Expressionism was giving way to Pop Art. "The Rose," with its serious artistic commitment and unique presence, stakes a claim for abstraction, although it simultaneously incorporates recognizable organic forms. Where does this tension between the abstract and the figurative sit with you? Editor: It’s what makes it captivating! It's almost as if she's taking a traditional symbol and reimagining it for a new, perhaps more troubled, era. Curator: Precisely. The Rose carries loaded symbolic and socio-historical significance across time. DeFeo created it on her own terms, ignoring expectations from the art market and traditional views around art. That’s really inspiring. Editor: It is. I hadn’t thought about it in terms of the cultural landscape at the time, and how she resisted those pressures. Curator: That is the thing about art. It carries with it everything about its culture, how it was conceived and created. Editor: Definitely gives me a lot to think about. Thanks!