May flowers 1947

Editor: This vibrant piece, “May Flowers” by Martiros Sarian, was created in 1947 using oil paints. The texture is very rich; the flowers are thick and almost sculptural. What strikes me most is how intensely present the materiality of the paint itself is. What are your initial thoughts? Curator: The physicality is key. Notice the impasto technique—the built-up layers of paint. Sarian's application calls attention to the labor, the very act of making. This was painted post-war. How do you think access to art supplies might influence the value we put on works like this one? Editor: That’s a fascinating point! The rationing of resources during the war must have impacted artists deeply. Maybe the lushness of the paint itself becomes a sort of…statement of renewed abundance? A celebration of available materials? Curator: Precisely. It disrupts the traditional hierarchy, where representation dominates. The paint itself performs; it is no longer merely a vehicle for illusion. Think about the source of those pigments – the extraction of minerals, the refining processes, the entire industrial apparatus embedded within each dab of color. Editor: Wow, I hadn’t considered that depth of production. It really does bring the outside world, so to speak, *into* the artwork. It's no longer just about aesthetic representation but about the resources, labor, and industrial systems. Curator: Consider also that "post-impressionism" can encompass diverse approaches; Sarian foregrounds the means of artmaking over any easily identifiable narrative. The blooms could even be viewed as representing something else. What’s important is the emphasis is shifted to production and access, rather than a clear scene. Editor: This definitely reshapes my understanding of the piece. I was initially drawn to its beauty, but understanding its context and the sheer materiality gives it a new dimension. Thank you! Curator: Likewise! I now consider what types of industrial processes were used and their social impacts.