Totnes 1765

Curator: John Inigo Richards's "Totnes" presents a watercolor wash of the English countryside. The support is relatively small, only 145 by 217 mm. Editor: It feels quite somber, actually. A muted palette, with that brooding sky—it lends a certain melancholy to the scene. Curator: The materials themselves speak to a particular artistic practice of the late 18th century. Watercolor was becoming increasingly popular for topographical studies. The textures of the paper, the way the pigment sits... Editor: Absolutely. And consider the church spire, subtly placed. The water itself mirrors the sky, a visual echo of the divine order reflecting back on earthly concerns. Curator: That spire signifies the community's relationship to production and labor. The church oversaw and participated in economic practices. Editor: Perhaps. I see a dialogue between the earthly and the spiritual, rendered with understated symbolism. Curator: I am particularly struck by the layering of washes. It reveals a process of constant adjustment, of the artist responding to the material. Editor: I’m more drawn to the overall sense of place. The artist seems to be capturing not just a view, but a feeling, a cultural memory. Curator: It's the materiality that informs the symbolic meaning. Editor: And perhaps the symbols inform the material choices? Either way, it's rewarding to look closely.