Lobster Wars 2007

Curator: Bo Bartlett's 2007 oil painting, “Lobster Wars,” certainly grabs the eye. What’s your initial impression? Editor: There's something unsettling, yet intriguing about this painting. The high level of detail gives the subjects and materials a visceral, immediate presence, even a kind of violence implied by the bloodstains on the fisherman's apron and the pirate flag billowing aggressively against the sky. Curator: It is visually arresting, isn't it? The composition leads us directly to the central figure, dominating the frame and his own craft. The artist plays on the contrast between the calm sea and that flag—a charged semiotic device. Editor: Absolutely, and considering this is oil paint on canvas, it makes me think of how many layers, tools, and localized decisions it took to achieve this particular shade of red. Or the pale, ghostly white of the skull and crossbones...what is it meant to evoke, a literal plundering, a sense of territorial urgency? Curator: Indeed. It creates a potent duality. One can read this on different levels. We cannot forget that color functions in signifying its intent—in effect it colors our interpretation. Notice how the other muted tones offset the bright flag, lending a sense of reality to what could be an absurd image. Editor: Beyond color, think of the physicality involved in hauling traps, untangling lines, or enduring rough weather. Bartlett doesn't just depict; he suggests a laboring existence bound to the sea's rhythms, the struggle to extract something of value. You see the labor built right into the visible surface of the work. Curator: A fine point. Speaking of labor, that painstaking technique employed to render the textures – the coarse clothing, weathered skin – speaks volumes about skill and intention. How effectively those brushstrokes build the reality, as in contrast to photorealism. Editor: Agreed. Knowing all of the preparation and material accumulation that is involved gives it real presence and helps me think about the physical reality of the painting itself as a constructed object. Curator: Well, whatever the intent, "Lobster Wars" proves to be a stimulating image. Editor: Indeed, one that lingers well beyond our initial viewing.