Desert Style 2017

Editor: We're looking at "Desert Style," a 2017 painting by Carrie Graber. It strikes me as incredibly serene, almost frozen in a mid-century moment. What's your initial take? Curator: Oh, this takes me back! Palm Springs vibes, pure and simple. That cool turquoise water against the modernist architecture, it’s like stepping into a Slim Aarons photograph. What I find captivating is the almost unsettling stillness – a calm that borders on eerie. Do you sense that too, or am I just projecting my existential dread onto poolside bliss? Editor: I do see what you mean; there's a strong compositional balance that also adds to that stillness you pointed out, maybe. I also think it's interesting that the landscape around the house, even in the distant background, gives an atmosphere of privacy to the bather and to the whole composition. What can we say about this? Curator: Absolutely. It's as if the desert itself is in on the secret. Think about plein-air painting – capturing the light and atmosphere in real time, right? This artist takes it a step further; she bottles a feeling, an atmosphere where luxury and solitude dance. The high horizon line, almost oppressive. What does it evoke in you? Is there something disquieting about this private paradise? Editor: Maybe it's *too* perfect? The flawless lines, the unruffled water. It feels almost staged. So how does that "perfection", that peacefulness relates with modern architecture and design? Curator: Ah, precisely! Mid-century modernism, with its clean lines and utopian ideals, always hinted at control, at taming the wild. Here, Graber’s almost subtly suggesting that this curated perfection comes at a price, a kind of emotional flattening. So the peace we observe in "Desert Style" is an appearance; what lies behind, cannot be understood without any kind of introspection, I believe. Editor: That tension between beauty and that kind of flattening feeling you said is now making more sense. I think I'll carry that insight forward. Curator: Fantastic, precisely what I hope for. Maybe you can show it to the rest of your friends!