Lamentation 

Editor: Here we have a painting titled "Lamentation" by Michael C. Hayes, utilizing oil paint to depict a woman playing a harp in a natural setting. I find the scene to be quite serene, almost melancholic, and am curious about what elements stand out to you within the piece? Curator: For me, it's all about the construction of the scene. Note how the artist juxtaposes the manufactured harp with the "natural" environment, framing both as constructed elements. The woman’s dress, with its ribbon trim, is not something born of the forest, but rather a product of textile production. Consider the labor and materials involved – where do those pigments originate, and who spun and wove her clothing? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn’t considered the social aspects involved in something that appears so natural. So, you are not seeing it simply as woman peacefully coexisting with the nature around her? Curator: Not at all. The presence of the woman transforms that nature into something tamed, something observed and consumed. Look closely at the bark of the tree forming part of the harp. How much forest was consumed and processed to achieve that shape? Editor: So you see the consumption of materials and labor shaping not just the woman and harp, but the whole scene. How do those processes of making contribute to the ‘lamentation’ of the title, in your eyes? Curator: I would say that title offers us a directive to think about loss, the material costs to human creativity as well as the melancholic mood you astutely pointed out in the scene. Editor: That definitely gives me a new perspective on how to consider the painting. Curator: Absolutely. Thinking about the work and materials in their broadest social and economic contexts opens up some fascinating ideas for me too!