Fantastic landscape. Settlement in the mountains. 1972

Editor: Here we have Martiros Sarian's 1972 ink drawing, "Fantastic landscape. Settlement in the mountains." It strikes me as almost… exploded, like someone took a village and shattered it across the mountainside. What do you see in it? Curator: Exploded is a fantastic way to put it! It's like he’s not just showing us a landscape, but also the *idea* of a landscape, right? He distills the essence of mountains and settlements into these geometric forms, floating with airy lightness. It feels both grounded and utterly dreamlike, wouldn’t you agree? It reminds me a bit of cubism, actually. Did you notice the little... kite, perhaps? It adds to the whimsy. Editor: Definitely dreamlike! I see what you mean about the geometric forms too. So, you’re saying it's less about realistically depicting a place and more about conveying a feeling, or an abstract idea of one? Curator: Precisely! Sarian gives us *his* Armenia, the emotional core of his homeland. He’s not interested in postcard-perfect replicas; he’s after something far more personal and evocative, imbued with memory. It feels deeply Armenian to me, if that makes sense? The shapes recall ancient architecture, almost sacred geometry scattered across the land. The ink becomes more than ink. Editor: Wow, I never would have considered it in that way. That totally changes how I look at it. It's not just a drawing, but a memory made visible. Curator: Isn’t that amazing? Art is, ultimately, feeling made visible, a whisper caught in ink. We bring ourselves to the viewing and the conversation. Editor: Absolutely! Thank you for helping me to view this in such a fresh perspective. It’s become a really fascinating drawing, now.