Walking Home 

Curator: Neale Worley's oil painting, “Walking Home,” immediately gives the impression of a hot summer afternoon—quiet, still. Editor: I see a subtle commentary on the alienation of women in traditionally domestic spaces. Curator: Ah, I'm intrigued. While the scene may appear serene, notice the deliberate composition. The path directs the eye towards the house, and it terminates right at the back of the central figure; and yet, it simultaneously diverts, as a way for the solitary female to traverse a seemingly quiet exterior with its architectural backdrop. Editor: Precisely! The lone woman, perhaps returning from the market, is visually confined by both the structure of the road and the stone wall to the left, mirroring the actual social limitations imposed upon women within that Mediterranean context. Even her own shadow anticipates that arrival, and her turn into the cavernous building structure. Curator: The interplay of light and shadow enhances that feeling. Observe how the strong sunlight emphasizes the solid geometric shapes of the building. We must not forget that while “plein-air” seeks to translate the reality of being outside into paint, brushstrokes still give shape, and that choice will lend itself to meaning. The heavy contrast of lights to darks definitely plays on a heightened effect here. Editor: Indeed, and even more significantly, the shadows, cast diagonally across the lane, divide the pictorial space. The woman walks through an artificially constructed, and ultimately confined plane; such heavy use of darkness further accentuates her form. It subtly evokes her struggle. The use of her silhouette against the brighter architectural background—what’s being hidden and brought to the forefront becomes a crucial element to me. Curator: I can certainly appreciate that reading of social dynamics, but from the more formal elements, it seems that Worley's brushwork lends itself more so to a stylistic appreciation rather than one of critical identity. Editor: Well, I’d argue they are not mutually exclusive. The very materiality of the paint, those visible strokes, lends itself to revealing an engagement with the conditions of that reality and social location! Thank you for offering new ideas. Curator: And to you as well. Perhaps this artwork will reveal new ideas upon further contemplation.