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Samantha Luu

Professor Granillo

English 103

May 18, 2019

Voice of Fire

“Visual culture, as its name suggests, gives us insight into how our culture is thinking

about visual texts...visual culture tells us about an era” (Silverman 205). As described in ​The

World as A Text, ​abstract art has caused a global commotion in modern times, as many followers

applaud the works of Banksy, Mondrian, and Pollok, while critics remark its absurdity of

simplicity and lack of substance. No matter your stance, these paintings have been integrated as a

type of visual culture, and are here to stay. A prime example of this would be Barnett Newman’s

Voice of Fire.​ By analyzing Newman’s ​Voice of Fire​ through the lens of color psychology, using

the hues to determine the emotional response evoked, and Marxism, a theory concerning society

and material production, it is obvious that this abstract painting evokes more than what is on the

surface of the canvas. News and media should endorse the pondering of deeper meanings behind

the obvious paint on canvas, rather than ridiculing abstract paintings for its seemingly simplistic

design.

Once causing a global commotion, many do not recognize​ Voice of Fire​ when asked

today, over a quarter century later. ​Voice of Fire​ is an abstract painting created by American

painter Barnett Newman, who had lived from 1905 to 1970. ​Voice of Fire ​is an 18 foot acrylic

painting of three equally sized stripes, in the pattern starting with a dark blue, in the middle a red

stripe, followed by another blue stripe. It was painted in 1967, only three years before Newman’s
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untimely death, specifically for a special commission to be premiered in Expo 67, considered to

be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century. It was placed among an Apollo space

capsule and its parachutes, photographs of the Moon, and large-scale photographs of movie stars

as symbols of American progress in an exhibition named ​American Painting Now.​ During its

time in the exhibit, ​Voice of Fire ​didn’t gain much attention, but two years later, it was sold to

the National Gallery of Canada for 1.8 million American dollars.

Consequently, ​Voice of Fire​ has been ridiculed as meaningless as simplistic it is in

design. There was an outrage from the public in what they saw as a poor investment of taxpayer

dollars, suggesting that the money should have been spent on several paintings to support a

larger variety of artists. Newman recalls in his book how he remembers the local talk show radio

host describing the painting as simple as taking “two cans of paint and two rollers and about 10

minutes” (Newman) to replicate, a thoughtless cash scam that was essentially overhyped. Others

said their kids had the same amount of talent as Newman, as many had the ability to paint what

they saw as a bizarre and nonsensical waste of portraiture. Many others took this fad as an

opportunity to make profit and copied its controversial design onto t shirts, stickers, and gag

comic strips pointing fun at the piece. Although Newman may have wanted to make a statement

about a personal or controversial topic with this piece, the public saw ​Voice of Fire​ in the eye of

ignorance, leaving most baffled and confused on its true meaning.

However, looking at it through the lens of color psychology uncovers some of the

painting’s meaning. Color psychology states that the choice and combination of colors can bring

the audience to feel specific emotions about a subject. Using only two colors, a dark blue and a

bright red, tells of a bold and powerful story when coupled with the title of the painting.
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According to the article “Colour and Its Effects in Interior Environment: A Review”​ ​by Soma

Kalia​,​ “[Red evokes] Speed up heart and respiration rates and to raise blood pressure [and]

Heightened sense of smell” (Kalia 107). According to Kalia, it has been observed that using the

color red can be similar to a trigger of passion or anger from the audience. This singular, bright

red strip contrasting the bordering blue strips draws the attention of the viewer, and essentially

acts as the subject of the painting, as it stands out from the rest. When viewing the original

painting, standing over 18 feet tall, the red stripe almost cuts through the two parallel blue lines,

creating a tunnel between them. This could represent the windpipe of a human being, and the

voice of the person could be angry or revolutionary, but certainly passionate. A passionate voice

could represent the Founding Fathers, standing up for the rights of freedom and liberty, an

enraged protester, taking action for change to help the fellow working man, or a writer,

expressing their voice through written word to be cherished and inspire future generations. The

voice of the individual and individual thought is essential to American culture, and this singular

voice can be portrayed as loud from the sheer size of the painting, which would fit into the

exhibition it was created for, symbolizing American progress.

The exterior, in contrast, is represented by the color blue. By simplifying the symbol to

two blue stripes, many interpretations can be drawn from viewing the painting in solidarity. By

analyzing through color psychology, the message conveyed through the color blue can be

narrowed down from the emotions traditionally evoked from an audience viewing this color.

According to the article ​The Color Psychology of Blue​ by Kendra Cherry, “blue is favored by so

many people, it is often viewed as a non-threatening color...peaceful, tranquil, secure, and

orderly” (Cherry). Since the emotional response to the color blue is the opposite to the passionate
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and action-oriented response from the red, the blue in ​Voice of Fire ​is is used to contrast the

singular red stripe in the middle, rather than the actual opposite on the color wheel, green. If the

windpipe of the human being is represented in ​Voice of Fire​ by the red, the body is represented

by the blue surrounding it. By using the interpretation of blue as favorable to a majority of

viewers, Newman’s message could be interpreted as one must remain favorable to others in order

to have their true voice heard. This would mean that in order to be able to express the thoughts or

ideas that one is passionate about, which is stored in the brain inside of your body, one must use

their words to calmly communicate rather than acting with a fist.

An example best shown in American History of this connotation is through the civil

rights movement. A memorable figure during this time is Martin Luther King Jr., who is known

for his advocacy for peaceful protests and powerful speeches in order to claim the rights he and

other African Americans deserved. In contrast, other activists took a much more violent

approach, such as Malcolm X. Malcolm X is most remembered for his speech, “The Ballot or the

Bullet,” which told civil rights advocates to essentially take any means necessary in order to take

the rights that they deserved. Now, over half a century later, we can conclude that the more

powerful message was King’s “I Have A Dream,” as promoting peace and forgiveness proved to

create more American progress than forcefully taking what was theirs. King embodies the

message of ​Voice of Fire​ by expressing his passion through his speeches, and remaining

favorable to the public by remaining a pacifist, regardless of being wronged and robbed of civil

rights from the racism he was fighting against. The blue in ​Voice of Fire​ represents the values he

expressed physically as calm, peaceful, and secure, while the red represents his sole passion in

life to take back the rights of those discriminated against for so long. Identifying Newman’s
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message in ​Voice of Fire​ through color theory allows the representation of something seemingly

simplistic to be applied to the context of its meaning of representation, which was originally

showcased as a symbol of American progress.

Through a Marxist standpoint, this painting could be thought in a much different light.

The color red is often associated with communism, and could signify such in this painting. Being

surrounded by the blue, representing America, which is known for being a thriving example of

capitalism, could be interpreted as surrounding this red stripe in the center, being cornered on

each side. ​Voice of Fire​ might not be a celebration of American culture, but a warning of its

future. Karl Marx, an avid promoter of Marxist communism, was entirely against the capitalist

way of life, seeing it as a regime that separates the powerful upper class from the laboring lower

class, ultimately ending in the overthrowing of the top from the bottom and repeating an endless

cycle of pain. The lower class workers, or proletarians, are stripped of their value by prioritizing

the output of their work than them as a person. This type of thought process can most likely be

seen of the critics of this work, seeing this painting only in its aesthetic value over the process or

emotional journey that Newman may have wanted the viewer to experience. As Marx had said in

The Communist Manifesto, ​“[This system] has resolved personal worth into exchange value,

and in place of the numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms, ” (Marx 771). Those who

appreciate this work of Newman, or the Marxist thinkers, are far outnumbered by the American

culture that surrounds them, much like ​Voice of Fire​ depicts. The stripes may instead represent

the individual, and the diminishing amount of those who can truly understand Marxism and

Newman’s painting.
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Of course, this could be one of many interpretations of Newman’s ​Voice of Fire.​ The

process of this production of ​Voice of Fire​ should be considered when interpreting its meaning.

Through the context of Newman’s previous works, many suggest that this could be an example

of evolution in Newman’s artistic style. Analyzing the development and meanings of his other

works, along with how these pieces fit on the timeline of other artists’ pieces of abstract

expressionism, show how important ​Voice of Fire​ may have meant in the art culture. As

described in Newman’s book, ​Barnett Newman: Selected Writings and Interviews,​ he explains

that throughout his works, Newman’s paintings were often created using oil paints and often

didn’t exceed 17 feet in dimensions (Newman). ​ Voice of Fire​, however, was painted with acrylic

paint, and reached up to 18 feet in length. Not only was this piece dramatic in its exposition, but

was a distinct disparity from his previous works. Oil painting is usually used to draw out more

potent and brighter colors, and takes longer to dry, as acrylic paints are less vivid, water soluble,

and only take up to an hour to dry. Newman’s most important works, such as ​Onement I ​and ​Vir

Heroicus Sublimis,​ are not nearly as rich in color choice when compared to ​Voice of Fire,​

although the paints used in each conflict with what the ending result had displayed. Using

weaker and more blendable paints, ​Voice of Fire​ depicts much brighter colors in a bold, crisp

contrast, while the others are meant to unify the parts within the piece. This new method, not

only in Newman’s work, but also in the art culture, was controversial as a new era in abstract

expressionism.

This information could even be tied into common themes shown throughout American

culture, such as Patriotism. Marxist theory identifies repressive ideology as such, or a belief

system that is a product of cultural conditioning. Patriotism states that one who belongs to a
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certain country, such as in this case, America, should have full devotion to and vigorous support

for one's country. Unfortunately, this reveals the less realized conclusions that can be drawn,

such as that oppressed classes from opposing countries battle one another instead of banding

together to fight those in power. This is depicted through the ​Voice of Fire ​by the division of the

blue stripes - what should be together, is torn apart by the middle red stripe. The blue,

representing the oppressed classes, are left in the dark about the real truth, and are instead taken

advantage of, on the basis of the simple patriotic phrase, “do it for your country.” When

advertised throughout the country that they reside in, and when surrounded with this idea in their

environment, makes the individual fall into the crowd, following like a herd of sheep, simply on

the basis of doing what is best for a collective. The simplistic, but powerful idea of groupthink is

easily represented by the red line in the middle, almost directing the surrounding bands to follow

in its direction, protecting it from any surrounding that could endanger it from staying in power.

This groupthink allows those in power to take advantage of these people and send them to their

own destruction for their own benefit. This can be most similarly compared to the times in which

America has been in war, as they often promoted Patriotism in order to have full cooperation

from citizens, but such power could also be abused. During World War II, the repressive

ideology of Patriotism had allowed America to act upon their prejudice, and therefore made it

legal for the time being to force Japanese Americans to relocate from their homes into

internment camps. By identifying ​Voice of Fire​ though a different aspect of Marxism, once again

warning of the pitfalls that come with America’s society.

Artists who have contradicted repressive ideologies such as this, such as Barnett

Newman, tear down these ideologies by going against them, and finding their own success
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through defiance. Their career is essentially to express themselves through art, which in turn

produces a painting. Rather than focusing on the quantity of production that their laboriously

worked on, much like capitalism drives for in many other fields, each is entirely personal to the

artist, their intentions, and the audience’s interpretation. This is an essential element established

in Marxist theory called Commodity Fetishism or Commodification. Marx describes this as

“when a consumer becomes unaware of how a product is made, and instead is concerned about

its exchange value and sign-exchange value, or how much it's worth and the social status that is

signified by owning it” (Marx). Although ​Voice of Fire​ had eventually found itself with a high

exchange value, essentially what had earned it the short lived fame it garnered in the late 20th

century, its strong relationship between the artist and the art nullifies the fetishist implications

that any ignorant publicity could determine it for.

Although there are some who have acquired the taste for pondering the thought and effort

the artist had put into such a simplistic portrait, many still do not entertain the mysterious

possibilities that could be lying beneath such a minimalistic exterior. When collected and

displayed to the public in mass numbers of a seemingly worthless and idiotic array of unfinished

canvasses, there is little to be drawn without being filled in with the context. Although this

allows experienced viewers to delve deeper into their imaginations and draw personal and well

thought interpretations from seeing revolutionary artists show their artwork, this causes the

masses of unknowing viewers to be left bewildered and confused on what to feel. To remedy this

problem, many art history museums often display a small plaque describing the artist, the time

period the piece was created during, and other bits of information that may allow the viewer to

understand the piece with a context to the meaning. However, with abstract art, each meaning
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may be interpreted differently to each viewer, so it would be difficult to those new to abstract art

to be open to not only such a different way of thinking, but such complex concepts to apply to a

seemingly empty piece of art. However, many viewers would be more inclined to try and

understand if abstract art was shown in a better light. Although there can't be much done to

introduce a beginner into understanding abstract art, as that would contradict the personalized

experiences that are meant to be held within each viewer, those who share abstract art to scoff,

point a finger and laugh should take a second thought before ridiculing what they may not

understand. Promoting not only a piece that could be impactful to someone, but also including

other works by that creator helps spread understanding of a deeply emotional creation rather than

being dismissed and neglected for trivial reasons, such as the cost of the piece and its simplicity.

Not only is ​Voice of Fire​ is essential to the understanding of other abstract pieces, it

represents the uprising new Era of American culture, which promotes rebellion, to go against

normalcy, and to fight the power. However, that is difficult to draw from if not understanding the

history and context that lies behind the piece. Not using the tools of painting to create such a

large and important piece of art represents the creativity that is explored through untraditional

means. ​Voice of Fire​ is the ultimate apex of insubordination from this repressive ideology, not

only by going against what culture may traditionally think of what categorizes as “art,” but by

being different from Newman's norm through experimentation with a larger canvas, different

palette, and different paints.

Without looking at abstract art through different lens, it is difficult to understand the true

meaning of the paintings. Looking at ​Voice of Fire​ with a lens of color psychology has allowed

viewers to draw conclusions differing to a Marxist lens, and each individual interpretation allows
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the ​Voice of Fire​ to achieve what Newman had intended for his work: to bring up questions,

emotions, and thought outside of the surface of three stripes painted on a large canvas with

acrylic paint. Applying this to other abstract pieces will allow us to ponder the meaning of a

picture before drawing conclusions and criticizing its feature.

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Works Cited

​ ay 06, 2019.
Cherry, Kendra. “The Color Psychology of Blue.” ​About, Inc. (Dotdash), M

Retrieved from: https://www.verywellmind.com/the-color-psychology-of-blue-2795815.

Kalia, Soma. “Colour and Its Effects in Interior Environment: A Review.” ​International Journal

of Advanced Research in Science and Technology, ​30 Sept. 2013.

Marx, Karl, 1818-1883. (1996). The Communist manifesto. London ; Chicago, Ill. :Pluto Press,

​ niversity of California
Newman, Barnett. ​Barnett Newman: Selected Writings and Interviews. U

Press, February 12, 1992.

Newman, Barnett. ​Voice of Fire. ​1967, National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa, Ontario.

Silverman, Jonathan; Rader, Dean. ​The World Is a Text: Writing about Visual and Popular

Culture.​ (2018, Broadview Press Inc).