Bo Peep 1916

Curator: The artwork presented here is “Bo Peep,” a 1916 watercolour by Ralph Barton. I’m immediately struck by its whimsical nature and use of form. What are your initial impressions? Editor: Well, the composition is certainly...unique. The scale is bizarre. I can't tell if it's meant to be humorous or a bit unsettling. I’m also curious about his technique here; those flat planes of colour are really quite bold for the time. What do you see in this piece, considering Barton's style? Curator: Consider the interplay of geometric forms against the natural forms. Barton’s choice of watercolour flattens the image, emphasizing shape and line. Notice how Bo Peep’s body almost blends in the pink clouds. This creates an interesting tension, where the figure is both present and nearly dissolves into the landscape. Can we analyze this visual strategy through the lens of early 20th-century formal experimentation? Editor: So you are thinking about the pure design and structure of the artwork...it seems very different to more naturalistic artwork from the time, perhaps deliberately so? It's a world away from impressionism, that's for sure. I didn’t appreciate the relationship between form and fantasy at first glance, so what is the point, then? Curator: Consider it as an engagement in an ongoing investigation with colour and the formal properties that art-deco presented for fine arts. Look carefully how he employs colour to both create volume in her clothing, as well as reduce the entire figure into almost planar qualities. Barton's use of color is not mimetic but expressive; and the simplification contributes to the work's charm and decorative quality. Editor: I see what you mean now, focusing on the purely visual is really enriching. Thank you so much for explaining, I never would have got that on my own. Curator: The pleasure was all mine! Looking through form allowed us new understanding.