Mt. Holyoke #45 1956

Curator: Edward Corbett's "Mt. Holyoke #45," created in 1956, presents a captivating dance between abstraction and landscape, all rendered in delicate watercolors. Editor: It’s strangely calming. Like a faded memory of a sunset or maybe just the essence of a vast, open space, stripped down to its most minimal elements. Curator: Exactly! Corbett seems to be evoking the *feeling* of a landscape, not necessarily a literal depiction. Notice how the subtle washes of color blend almost imperceptibly, creating a sense of atmospheric depth. Editor: The composition’s quite sparse. A horizon line is suggested at the bottom—almost as an afterthought! What does it tell us about space and perception? Is it stable? Balanced? Curator: I see the horizon line as grounding. These very simple lines are like small stitches trying to make tangible an ill-defined feeling of vastness. These grounding strokes suggest more abstract themes as well. Editor: Abstraction is definitely at play here. Do you think this connects to Abstract Expressionism? Curator: I do. He's using watercolor, traditionally seen as a gentle, representational medium, to explore those grand themes. The emotionality is expressed not through bombast, but through nuance. I love the honesty of the imperfect marks—the light staining, perhaps due to an expressive hand, the subtle blooms of color that remind me of quiet meditation. Editor: Thinking about how he applies the watercolour medium makes me ponder the intentionality behind the artwork, and what it says. In the context of that landscape, how did his feelings create it? Was the act of applying the colour creating, recording or some strange hybrid? Curator: Precisely! In my mind, I sense this artwork wants to offer an introspection to be taken by those of us observing it in its current form. Editor: Indeed. It's like Corbett is reminding us to find grandeur in simplicity, to slow down and breathe in the subtleties.