Sybaris 1962

Editor: Here we have Paul Feeley's "Sybaris," a striking acrylic on canvas created in 1962. The dominant red and singular blue form feel both incredibly simple and quite powerful. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The power you sense comes, in part, from a play between seemingly simple forms carrying centuries of loaded meaning. Think about the shape: elongated, with constrictions and expansions. Does it remind you of anything familiar, anything primal? Editor: I suppose…a spinal cord, maybe? Or some other organic structure? Curator: Precisely! And that red ground? In iconography, red frequently represents vitality, blood, passion. Placed against this charged background, the blue form becomes something other than a mere geometric shape. It transforms into a kind of symbolic vessel, hinting at core aspects of human experience: life force, structure, and even vulnerability. Why do you think Feeley would name it Sybaris, a city notorious for its pleasure-seeking inhabitants? Editor: Perhaps it's a commentary on indulgence? Or maybe on the fleeting nature of pleasure itself? Curator: Quite possibly. The streamlined form evokes a modern aesthetic, while simultaneously dredging up very ancient associations. That tension makes this seemingly simple composition resonate far beyond its immediate appearance. We can find the link with archaic imageries. Editor: I never would have thought there was so much to unpack in such a simple-looking piece! It makes you wonder what other symbolic layers might be hidden just beneath the surface of other abstract works.