Celebration in Bolnisi-Khachini 

Editor: We're looking at Niko Pirosmani's "Celebration in Bolnisi-Khachini," an oil painting with a striking, almost naive style. It has a raw, folksy charm. What's your perspective on it? Curator: Well, immediately, I see an engagement with the processes of daily life represented. The materiality of the paint itself, likely cheap commercial-grade oils applied to a less-than-refined surface judging by the evident wear and tear, speaks volumes. Pirosmani was essentially a self-taught artist, creating works for taverns and shops. We need to consider his work in that light – art as a functional, consumable product, reflective of the economic realities of his time. Editor: So, it wasn't intended as high art then? Curator: Precisely. Think about the production and consumption of this image. It's not destined for a museum. It would be used in public spaces, perhaps designed to entice or provide information to locals and passersby. Editor: That's interesting. So the way we perceive "art" depends so much on its intended purpose and setting... even on its materials? Curator: Absolutely. And consider the figures themselves - the labour, celebrations. Even the simple depiction of landscape reveals the reliance of this small community on material production, resources. What seems 'folksy' could actually reflect societal structures in place in the country at the time of its making. Do you notice how the figures interact within the space? Editor: It gives me a lot to think about, particularly in how we frame folk art. Curator: Exactly. Seeing art embedded within processes shifts how we consider meaning.