The Station of the Cross - Second Station 1958

Editor: Here we have Barnett Newman’s “The Station of the Cross – Second Station” created in 1958, using oil paint. The canvas is mostly an off-white color, broken only by two dark, vertical lines on the right side. The rightmost line almost looks smudged, like it was applied in a hurry. I’m curious, what's your take on this piece? Curator: For me, understanding this painting begins with considering the materials and the act of creation itself. Notice the stark contrast, not just in color, but in the application. One 'zip' seems deliberate, almost industrial in its precision. The other? Raw, gestural. Newman wasn't just putting paint on canvas; he was engaging in a physical and perhaps even spiritual act. The process becomes paramount. How does that raw zip on the right challenge the notions of traditional 'fine art' painting? Editor: I see what you mean. It’s almost as if he’s rejecting the polished finish in favor of something more…honest? Curator: Exactly. Think about the materials themselves. Oil paint, readily available, yet capable of expressing such profound ideas. And consider the "zip" itself, born from a single gesture, a physical engagement with the medium. Can this repeated physical act in the industrial society become another way of challenging commodity culture and creating works that resist easy consumption? Editor: That’s fascinating. I hadn’t considered the deliberate choice to emphasize the act of making over the final product as a commentary on the state of material consumption. It sounds as though the act itself is a critique, becoming the message. Curator: Precisely! It brings a whole new layer to our understanding. Editor: Thanks! That gives me a lot to think about!