Satyricon 1 1981

Editor: Here we have Reuben Nakian's "Satyricon 1," an assemblage in bronze from 1981. I’m struck by how disjointed it feels, almost violent in its fragmentation. What's your interpretation? Curator: The title immediately pulls us towards the historical context: Petronius's "Satyricon," a fragmented Roman novel known for its satirical and often grotesque depiction of societal decadence. Given Nakian’s background and the date this piece was created, it is hard to miss the implications of moral and cultural decay under hyper-capitalism that speaks directly to Nakian’s choice to re-contextualize this narrative during the rise of Thatcher and Reagan era politics. How might this historical framework shift how we understand the artist’s abstraction? Editor: So, you're saying the fragmented style mirrors the fragmented nature of society itself? Curator: Precisely. And note how the "figure" emerges from and merges with the rough, almost aggressive, forms. This collapsing of figure and form embodies an interesting tension between the classical and modern…but the choice to associate this struggle, this violence to a tale of Rome… does this reinforce the trope that the classical is just white? Should we reconsider the Western canon entirely given the legacy of global cultural exploitation? Editor: That's a powerful thought. I was so focused on the form itself that I missed the broader implications of the title. Curator: And how do you feel about Nakian utilizing a very Greek and Roman literary narrative given today's context of repatriation and historical revisioning? Editor: I didn't really consider repatriation until you said something. Curator: Perhaps Nakian is trying to tell us to think twice before deconstructing our classical, capitalist society? Editor: I'll have to rethink everything! Thanks for all this context.