Deep Waters 

Editor: Here we have “Deep Waters,” an oil painting by Mark Beck. What strikes me immediately is the contrast – the solid, still house against the chaotic, towering wave. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, considering its materials – oil on canvas – we're presented with layers. The layered application of paint mirrors the layers of meaning here. We're looking at the means of production as a representation of larger structures, social, economic and ecological. Editor: Can you elaborate on that? Curator: Think about the materials themselves. Oil paint, canvas. Were they readily available to all? The act of creating, the labor involved, isn't neutral. It reflects access, privilege, the system that allows the artist to depict this scene in the first place. Even the way the brushstrokes create the wave – what labour went into representing such a force? Editor: So, you’re saying the materials and process speak to broader social themes rather than just aesthetics? Curator: Precisely. The wave, the house – are they commenting on our relationship with nature? Who has the privilege to own property by the sea, facing the force of nature and destruction? This painting isn't just a landscape. It's about the power dynamics inherent in how we use and portray materials. The commodification of nature itself. Editor: I never considered it that way. So looking at the artwork through the materials and its making can unveil those connections that might otherwise be missed. Thanks! Curator: It opens new doors, doesn't it? Every brushstroke, every choice of medium, tells a story far beyond the surface.