Untitled (black painting) 1959

Editor: Here we have Ronald Bladen’s “Untitled (black painting)” from 1959, oil on canvas. At first glance, the heavily worked dark surface interspersed with what seems like textured voids, evokes a kind of nocturnal landscape. What do you make of this artwork? Curator: The 'nocturnal landscape' resonates. What appear as voids, or perhaps flickers, against the black recall the primal urge to map the night sky onto our existence. This almost resembles a fragmented, inverted constellation. Does the monochromatic palette, the deliberate obscuring, affect your sense of cultural memory here? Editor: I suppose it does. It's not a bright, celebratory image, more subdued and perhaps even somber. Does this somber quality relate to the Abstract Expressionist movement at all? Curator: Absolutely. Remember, Abstract Expressionism wasn't just about pure abstraction; it was also about expressing profound emotional and psychological states. The monochrome enhances a certain meditative experience, and can prompt a confrontation with one’s internal "darkness." Are you feeling the texture, the almost tactile quality, adding another layer of meaning for you? Editor: Definitely. It makes me wonder if the texture is also symbolic. Maybe alluding to the imperfection inherent in our experiences of the night sky and other natural environments, and how human interpretation may leave voids, gaps or absences? Curator: Precisely. Think about the power of suggestion over explicit depiction, a dialogue between what is seen and what is felt, connecting you to this moment. Editor: This painting gives me a lot to think about regarding abstraction, memory and feeling. Curator: Indeed! Hopefully, by exploring how it connects to deep human experiences we learn something new.