Untitled 2005

Editor: So, this is Raoul De Keyser’s *Untitled* acrylic painting from 2005. It’s striking how simple the shapes are, but they almost suggest a body of land reflected in water, or perhaps even a reclining figure. What do you see in this piece, looking at the forms and colors he’s chosen? Curator: I see a distillation of landscape, perhaps even a psychological landscape. The shapes are archetypal. Note how the "land" form in the top half is echoed, mirrored almost, in the lower portion that we interpret as "water." This mirroring touches upon the collective unconscious, doesn’t it? Water is a primal symbol, often representing the subconscious or the emotional realm. Editor: That’s interesting – I hadn’t thought of the “water” as subconscious. So you’re saying the land, reflected, isn’t just a place but maybe a state of mind? Curator: Exactly! Consider also the use of color. The muted yellows and blues. Yellow often relates to intellect, and blue to contemplation and inner peace, which emphasizes the possibility of reflection. De Keyser’s simplification encourages us to project our own emotional landscapes onto it, calling forth our own buried memories of place and time. Does it awaken anything in you? Editor: It makes me think of summer holidays spent by a lake. There’s a calmness. But also… a sense of isolation. Curator: Perhaps that is a resonance of what De Keyser himself brought to it. Editor: I've never thought about landscape in this symbolic way before. Curator: De Keyser invites us to perceive deeper meanings in what at first may appear as simple geometric abstraction. Editor: Definitely food for thought! I will consider it next time I go kayaking.