A Windy Day 

Curator: What a turbulent, expressive landscape. I am immediately struck by the layering of the paint and the texture throughout the composition. Editor: Indeed, the title "A Windy Day" seems perfectly apt. This is a painting attributed to Gregoire Boonzaier; while the exact date of its creation is not known, the materials involved included impasto oil paint on what seems to be canvas. Curator: That impasto technique is key here, I think. Notice how Boonzaier has applied the paint so thickly, building up the surface to create almost a sculptural effect. It emphasizes the raw materiality of the medium, lending itself to that kind of impressionist landscape aesthetic. One could spend an age thinking about Boonzaier’s engagement with tools. Editor: Looking at the history of landscape painting in South Africa, particularly during periods of social and political change, it's clear that depictions of the land often served as vehicles for expressing ideas about identity, belonging, and resistance. How do you think this piece intersects with this context? Curator: The materiality could provide insights into these social issues and movements through which Boonzaier navigated and it is easy to become trapped in the artist as a person. Maybe a question about the distribution, how many are accessible? Editor: I suppose there is always tension when artwork is a medium that the population can see or connect with, yet access may be unevenly distributed. I think one can say that such artwork embodies an element of resistance regardless. It presents a window of thought that can affect many and can change the socio-political landscape on micro and macro levels. But, coming back to the topic, the thick layering speaks to something deeper in terms of labour as a concept within art. Curator: Exactly, let’s continue in that thought as the history may illuminate our experience through this viewing today. Thank you. Editor: My pleasure. It is, undoubtedly, a powerful example of the social and historical weight art carries, as well as an appeal for more equitable distribution of artwork to further socio-political change in modern society.