Maroon Bells 1998

Curator: The initial impact is almost primal; those jagged peaks loom large, dwarfing the solitary figure drifting through the sky. There's an immediacy in the application of the paint itself, a tactile quality that's both raw and exhilarating. Editor: This is Malcolm Morley's "Maroon Bells," an acrylic on canvas painted in 1998. Morley's journey is interesting— from his early engagement with photorealism, he moved into a more expressive, almost deliberately clumsy style. He was a key figure in the Neo-Expressionist movement. Curator: It's curious that you call the painting style "clumsy". The expressive brushstrokes of snow create this vibrant texture of the mountains, which traditionally carry many different significations across cultures and serve as emblems of power. There's something compelling about how the image engages with archetypes here. Editor: The "clumsiness," as I see it, becomes part of his commentary on representation itself. Landscape paintings traditionally present an idealized, picturesque vision, and it seems to me that Morley is rebelling against those artistic norms by creating something a bit more subjective. What could explain his inclusion of the paraglider, do you think? Curator: It’s so interesting how he disrupts our perception! The paraglider seems almost carelessly added and creates a strong contrast with the monumental scale of the mountain, which otherwise carries all the significance. Its contemporary quality undermines and playfully updates traditional motifs and highlights a changing relationship to landscape. Editor: Yes, I think this particular work serves as a great example of how an artist in the late 20th century negotiates our perception of an idealized landscape in the face of increasing social complexity and change. Thank you for sharing your insights. Curator: The pleasure was mine. The visual tensions within the canvas provide a window onto broader changes in what nature can mean for the viewers.