San Gabriel Road 

Curator: Looking at Rose O’Neill’s “San Gabriel Road,” the first thing that strikes me is the raw materiality. Notice how the impasto technique, the thick application of oil paint, makes the surface so tangible. It almost feels like you could reach out and touch the stucco walls or the rough bark of those trees. What do you make of that? Editor: I think it really captures a specific moment in time. You can almost feel the heat radiating off the road. There's something almost tactile about the light, as if the brushstrokes themselves are catching it. What is your interpretation of her technique? Curator: For me, the use of oil paint becomes a key element in understanding O’Neill's work beyond just visual representation. The act of applying that much paint, the physical labor involved in building up those textures, it points towards a very deliberate process. Consider how the Impressionists were changing the role of the artist. They began stepping outside of the atelier and into nature to capture these views en plein air. Instead of idealized visions they were creating objects from observation of their surroundings in real-time and then offering these back to their new audience. What aspects do you find to be the most captivating to you? Editor: That’s a really interesting point. I guess I hadn’t considered the actual labour involved. The rough textures of the oil paint do seem at odds with the idea of a serene landscape. It shows you that she didn't try to overly romanticise a scene by taking place within a community space. Curator: Precisely. So how might this piece inform our understanding about the role of impressionism, not only with subject or form, but even about economics and labour? Editor: This piece offers us a glimpse into her community, as well as her process to offer this point of view, with the labour that took place in this very setting. Curator: Exactly, a material testament to a specific place, time, and labor.