Growth 1960

Curator: Before us hangs "Growth," an acrylic painting by Olga Albizu, created in 1960. Editor: Immediately, the painting's earthy palette strikes me—amber, ochre, and hints of deep orange intermingle with strong fields of black. It has a very strong sense of internal cohesion. Curator: Indeed, the impasto technique used here gives a tangible quality to this abstraction. These heavy brushstrokes create a topography of layered hues. What symbolic weight do you see in this interplay of color? Editor: I find that the dark masses operate as anchors. Albizu creates tensions between surface and depth, presence and absence. It prevents it from just being about chromatic play and textural variation. Curator: Albizu's "Growth," like many Abstract Expressionist works, is more than simply visual. One can explore a landscape, or, indeed, the blossoming of life, from a psycho-spiritual vantage point. In Jungian terms, darkness often precedes enlightenment. Editor: That is very insightful. Certainly, we see those concepts being explored within the artist's composition. Curator: These colors echo themes ubiquitous within Puerto Rican identity at this time. Editor: That connection really draws together Albizu's unique contribution, the artist synthesizing the global language of abstraction and a very grounded cultural reality. The work encapsulates both, an idea as well as an object. Curator: A potent union of technique and visual language, leaving a rich legacy. Editor: It has really allowed a furthered understanding and enjoyment of "Growth" today.