Three Olives For The Piper 

Curator: Let's turn our attention to Dan Graziano's "Three Olives For The Piper," a rather intriguing contemporary figurative painting. Editor: It's striking! My first impression is the bold dichotomy of form, juxtaposing this meticulously rendered, almost hyper-realistic bartender with the painted revelry behind him. Curator: Precisely. Graziano seems to be constructing a dialogue between present labor and historical fantasy. The bartender, in his crisp uniform and focused demeanor, becomes a focal point against this bacchanalian mural behind him. The artist makes us ponder: Whose labor supports these moments of escapism, and at what cost? Editor: The oil paint lends a certain richness, grounding the work in materiality. And consider the composition: a foreground dominated by straight lines and rigid geometry versus a background where the painter loosens the pictorial structures, layering looser, less distinct marks to describe bodies and settings. The glass he pours is rendered quite precisely, drawing a comparison between the contained purity and liquid freedom. Curator: The olives, as well, are essential to understanding his message. In some eras and cultures, the olive is a token of peace or even wealth, adding another layer to our interpretations of who has access to enjoyment, historically. And I think we must consider who exactly he imagines “the Piper” to be— the title’s subject may hold significant allegorical weight, especially when coupled with the harlequin figure, a character of high status and the lower class. Editor: Right. If you consider that a harlequin's very costuming signifies divided loyalty, what might we draw from that structure in context? In this setting the division between the high class and the bar class feels potent with this combination. Curator: A sharp contrast that compels the viewer to negotiate this painting’s deeper themes regarding access, class, labor, and the stories we tell ourselves about them. Editor: Yes, it's this constant oscillation between visual pleasures, surface treatment and more troubling depths that really sticks with me. It’s certainly food for thought.