Tenth Station 1965

Curator: Here we have Barnett Newman’s “Tenth Station,” completed in 1965. It’s part of his series, *Stations of the Cross: Lema Sabachthani.* Editor: It's striking in its starkness. My immediate feeling is one of solitude. The cream-colored canvas, bisected by that paler vertical band, creates such a minimalist composition. Curator: These deceptively simple forms resonate deeply when you consider the socio-political climate in which they were created. Newman, along with other Abstract Expressionists, sought to strip away traditional forms to address profound human emotions after World War II. "Lema Sabachthani"—"Why have you forsaken me?"—these words evoke immense suffering and existential angst. Editor: Yes, and even in its pared-down geometry, there’s a strong connection to the history of religious imagery. Verticality frequently suggests the divine, ascent, or spirituality. It creates a very specific visual dialogue even in its abstraction. Curator: The rawness of the canvas, the exposed material—that feels important. It refuses any sense of facile beauty. There's an authenticity there that feels almost defiant against the commercialization of art. Editor: The subtle variation in tone suggests perhaps vulnerability, a sense of incompleteness... Newman has masterfully created a space for contemplation. Curator: Indeed. To experience it is to enter a dialogue with that question of abandonment, filtered through Newman’s uniquely modernist lens. It asks: Where is humanity, and what is its future after such devastation? Editor: Ultimately, that's why this resonates so strongly, isn't it? We recognize in it the visual signifiers for lament even beyond any specific theology. Curator: Exactly. These monochrome panels offer up universal themes that resonate in art history and continue to carry symbolic weight today. Editor: Thank you. I will definitely think about visual lament more from now on.