Onement III 1949

Editor: We’re now looking at Barnett Newman’s "Onement III," painted in 1949. It’s acrylic on canvas. Initially, I see a unified, reddish-brown field bisected by a single, vertical, slightly wavering line of a similar hue. What is your interpretation of this artwork? Curator: From a Formalist perspective, it is crucial to examine the relationship between the field and the ‘zip,’ as Newman called it. The color, though seemingly monochromatic, reveals subtle variations upon closer inspection. The texture of the paint application, the way light plays across the surface – these are the primary carriers of meaning. The canvas acts as an arena where the artist has enacted a visual event, a testament to the pure act of painting. Do you see how the seemingly simple composition encourages close, sustained looking? Editor: Yes, I think so. The variations in color weren’t immediately obvious, but the longer I look, the more I see the slight shifts, especially near the ‘zip’. I didn’t expect there to be so much… texture, even. How does this relate to Newman’s project, broadly speaking? Curator: Newman aimed to create a direct experience for the viewer, unmediated by conventional artistic representation. His work eschews traditional composition and narrative, encouraging a confrontation with the sublime through purely visual means. It’s less about ‘what’ is depicted, and more about ‘how’ we perceive and experience the painting’s physical presence. The 'zip’ isn't merely a line; it's the agency that animates the picture field. Editor: I can appreciate the focus on direct visual experience and how this piece, through its specific composition and execution, embodies those concerns. It really is all about the form itself, and our interaction with it. Curator: Precisely. Newman's formalism forces us to see the artwork on its own terms.