Mowing Grass in Africa 

Curator: Let's spend a few moments reflecting on this oil painting titled, "Mowing Grass in Africa," by Iwo Zaniewski. It’s a compelling tableau. What springs to mind for you, Editor? Editor: Oh, my first thought is melancholy. It's strangely subdued for such a potentially vibrant scene, with the woman holding what appears to be a pot, her face in shadow. And this rather odd scene of mowing grass viewed through the doorway is somewhat disorienting. Curator: Disorienting, indeed. We are drawn to that liminal space between indoors and outdoors. Zaniewski, here, seems to be investigating themes of domesticity and labor through a cultural lens. Notice how the very act of “mowing grass”—something banal to one culture, is made intriguing when juxtaposed with the "Africa" in the title? What associations does that draw for you? Editor: Well, instantly, there is the visual dissonance. Is that "Africa" we’re seeing, I wonder? It has all the hallmarks of American suburbia. A man, dutifully maintaining an almost aggressively perfect lawn that frankly looks like it would need a riding mower instead of manual. Then this woman inside. Her cultural or emotional remove almost echoes how foreign I feel trying to connect all the painting's suggestions together. Curator: It does feel that way. But there's possibly also an echo of tradition versus modernity here. The manual lawnmower itself evokes a different era. Then the way that Zaniewski has staged the scene through a frame suggests the enduring presence of cultural practices even amidst modernity. There is an engagement with labor as a constant across human experiences but colored so uniquely through differing social experiences. Editor: True, it all feels very intentionally posed. The lamp inside, for example. You know that’s not just an accessory, it feels weighted with suggestion. All that filtered light; it almost speaks of memory, distance and nostalgia. All under that rather unsettling, greyish sky... I just want to burst into that picture with a bunch of brightly colored beach umbrellas! Curator: A powerful, almost genre-bending synthesis by Zaniewski, challenging us to bridge seemingly disparate realities through symbolism. I will consider its meaning for a long time to come, that's for sure. Editor: Absolutely. And to think, it all started with a man and a lawnmower. Who knew!