Outline 1984

Curator: Abdul Mati Klarwein's "Outline" from 1984. A really compelling work painted in acrylics! Editor: It's lovely, isn't it? Very serene, yet with that curious clothesline cutting across the idyllic scene. What do you make of it? Curator: For me, this work operates on a very material level. Think about the labour involved in its making - grinding the pigments, stretching the canvas. Also, this wasn't made in a studio, but in "plein air." Editor: Ah, the actual location influenced the labor of the work? Curator: Absolutely. Furthermore, Klarwein's choice of materials is relevant to social context; he's using fairly common acrylic paint, as opposed to oils that were favored by many artists. Do you consider acrylic paint democratized painting at the time? And consider how the subject matter relates to production... Editor: I see. The mundane, like hanging laundry, intersecting with this seemingly timeless, romantic view, underscores that? Curator: Precisely! Consider too how mass-produced items – clothes pegs – enter the landscape, juxtaposing nature with products of industrial capitalism. He is pushing boundaries to consider the interplay between our relationship to what we produce and how we enjoy our nature. Editor: That’s a completely fresh way to view it. I had seen it as a simple landscape, but you've pointed out layers about process and making! Curator: And remember that “simple” is often a carefully constructed effect. Exploring the material elements gives us a richer reading. Editor: Right! Now, I appreciate this artwork on a much deeper level!