Two Horses in a Landscape 

Editor: Here we have "Two Horses in a Landscape," an oil painting by Louisa Matthiasdottir. I'm struck by the bold use of color and the almost flattened perspective. What jumps out at you when you look at this piece? Curator: What immediately commands attention is the directness of the representation. The simplified forms, the unmodulated planes of color. Consider the syntax of the composition; how does Matthiasdottir deploy the horizontal bands of land, water, and sky? Note, especially, how the two horses punctuate the foreground plane. Editor: So you're focusing on how the artist organizes the formal elements like color and shape. Curator: Precisely. Let's think about what is present in terms of the composition and how meaning emerges through the manipulation of form. What purpose does the lack of detail serve? Editor: Perhaps to draw attention to the raw beauty of the scene, focusing on shape and color rather than realistic depiction? I’m thinking about how she renders the horses. The white markings appear almost arbitrary. Curator: Observe how those “arbitrary” white markings, as you describe them, in fact articulate the form of the horse. Matthiasdottir’s concern is less with mimetic representation and more with conveying the essential qualities of the subject through a distillation of visual information. The composition itself suggests a careful calibration of color relationships. How does the vibrancy of the green contribute to the effect of the composition overall? Editor: I see it now! The vibrant green definitely creates a sense of energy. It almost vibrates against the more muted tones of the background. Curator: And does that “vibration” enhance the spatial relationship of the foreground elements to the background landscape? How does it change your reading of the subject, to perceive how color and light articulate space and mass? Editor: I hadn't considered it that way, but seeing how each element contributes to the whole... I appreciate it so much more now. Curator: Indeed, and that appreciation stems from close looking and analysis.