Up The Road A Piece 

Curator: Let's discuss this vivid oil painting entitled "Up The Road A Piece," by Dan Graziano, presented in the Impressionistic, plein-air style. What's your first take on this? Editor: My immediate impression is one of quiet isolation and a very distinctive depiction of contemporary society. It is like an idyllic dream but punctuated by infrastructure, so the house, embraced by the landscape, stands on the brink of disappearing as progress, or at least this notion of what that should look like, makes its relentless way into our existence. Curator: Indeed, and consider Graziano's choices of medium. Oil paint lends itself to this hazy, almost dreamlike quality, doesn't it? The marks are gestural, fast, capturing the fleeting essence of the scene, typical of the 'en plein air' technique. I'm intrigued by the use of the road as leading directly into the center to meet both an unknown point but also at that location there is this building we can identify and a point to suggest we as the viewer may perhaps be a bit removed, but we could find ourselves more within such close proximity. Editor: The 'plein air' approach becomes charged in this image, considering this emphasis of urban/suburban intersection. Look how the utility poles frame the house, juxtaposing nature with technological advancement. And isn't that juxtaposition symbolic of the human condition where technological advancements provide assistance but simultaneously detract from our being? It almost suggests a silent critique of unchecked modernization, its relentless march leaving a landscape both beautiful and burdened. Curator: I would agree to the modernization for sure, the use of materials like oil paint also plays a significant role, reflecting availability and the means by which artists, and people in general, were gaining the capabilities to move with more efficient distribution. What might initially appear spontaneous may involve some element of considered deliberation over the placement of the poles and dwelling? Editor: I think your observations here are important in bringing some additional observations. By doing this, the house can be seen as a reminder of community roots intertwined with those connections – the flow of both water and electricity, literally the energy that drives so much innovation. Curator: Precisely, I think Graziano has masterfully utilized materials and methods to offer insight into societal evolution by capturing a single instant through the eyes of his art. Editor: Absolutely. Seeing through this perspective enables contemplation beyond aesthetic value. We can discuss socioeconomic contexts while viewing the world outside in this intimate, quiet image of our society, past, and possible futures as a crossroads.