I'll pass them apart 

Editor: This watercolor piece is titled "I'll pass them apart", created by Remedios Varo. It’s just so…ethereal! The figure seems to be dissolving into the landscape around her. What do you see in this work, especially given its strange composition? Curator: Observe the formal elements. The hazy gradations of the watercolor medium lend themselves well to the depiction of atmospheric perspective. Notice how the figure is both present and absent, solid and dissolving, the cloud-like forms mirroring the landscape. This juxtaposition immediately establishes a binary to decode: what is solid and what is permeable? Editor: It's true, she almost feels like she's *made* of clouds. And the color palette is so limited - browns, blues, a touch of peach... Curator: Indeed. This restricted palette works to reinforce the symbolic import of the sky. Semiotically, clouds function as visual devices that call to the sublime. Note also that Varo eschews vivid chromatics for tonality. Do you see how this reinforces the somber mood of this allegory? Editor: I do. The dark colors certainly create a moody atmosphere, but isn't it more than just technical choices? Doesn't the content - this solitary figure, the title itself - point towards some kind of narrative meaning? Curator: We must refrain from venturing too far into speculation without firmer ground. The power of the work stems precisely from the ambiguity engendered by its formal properties. Note how Varo allows for dualistic interpretations: her choice to emphasize color versus shape offers meaning without prescription. Editor: I understand. By analyzing the structure, color and medium, we get a clearer picture, even if the narrative remains elusive. Thank you! Curator: Precisely. It's through such methodical examination of an artwork's formal language that we begin to grasp its inherent, multifaceted complexity.