Landscape c. 1988

Curator: Here we have Elena Prentice’s "Landscape," a small watercolor measuring about 12 by 18 centimeters, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's so delicate. The monochrome palette gives it a somber, almost haunted feel. I'm drawn to the visible paper grain, hinting at a handmade quality. Curator: Absolutely, and this piece prompts us to think about the role of landscape in art. How does it reflect our relationship with nature and the built environment? Notice the row of evenly spaced trees backed by what looks like an industrial building. Editor: It seems Prentice is highlighting the uneasy relationship between the natural and the industrial. The stark geometry of that building challenges the organic forms of the trees. I'm curious about the type of paper and pigments she used. Was she repurposing materials? Curator: Those material choices would speak volumes about resourcefulness and, perhaps, a conscious commentary on consumption within the art world. Editor: Precisely. It's a humble artwork, yet it provokes so much thought about labor, environment, and the means of art production. Curator: And perhaps about our place within an increasingly industrialized landscape. Editor: Exactly, a landscape of production.