This Vera Neumann artwork from 1967, part of her exploration into Pop Art, showcases a large-scale depiction of a pair of scissors, rendered with her signature minimalist and modernist style.

Subject Matter: The focal point of the artwork is a simple, oversized pair of scissors. The scissors are drawn with clean lines and precise contours, presented in a way that highlights their functionality as well as their form. Neumann’s approach here elevates an ordinary, everyday object to the realm of fine art, a hallmark of the Pop Art movement.

Composition: The scissors are positioned diagonally across the square format of the paper, their handles taking up much of the visual space. The large loops of the handles create an organic contrast to the straight, sharp edges of the blades. This dynamic composition draws the viewer’s eye along the length of the scissors, emphasizing both their utility and their elegance as a design element.

Materials: Like her other works from this period, this piece uses cut paper collage and acetate overlay, allowing Neumann to create a layered, tactile quality. The acetate might give the piece a slight sheen, providing depth and texture that contrasts with the flat, graphic nature of the composition.

Color: The background is divided into two contrasting fields of color: a muted blue on the left and a warm, golden brown on the right. These subtle yet distinct color fields serve to both ground the composition and frame the scissors, which are depicted in a light cream or beige. The simplicity of the color palette enhances the focus on form, line, and structure.

Style: The style is unmistakably Pop Art in its focus on ordinary objects and its use of a clean, graphic aesthetic. The lines are simple and almost mechanical in their precision, which reinforces the industrial nature of the subject matter while still keeping a sense of lightness and playfulness.

In summary, this work by Vera Neumann once again demonstrates her ability to fuse art and design, transforming a utilitarian object into an engaging visual statement. It is an excellent example of how she embraced Pop Art’s ethos while staying true to her modernist sensibilities, creating a piece that is as much about function as it is about form