Labastide du Vert vue depuis Marquayrol, Fumées 

Curator: Here we have “Labastide du Vert vue depuis Marquayrol, Fumées,” an oil painting by Henri Martin. Editor: It's lovely, evokes a hazy summer afternoon. The landscape seems almost dreamlike, with those smoky plumes rising from the dark structures below. Curator: The title indicates that what we are observing are plumes of smoke. If we think about smoke production and consumption it leads us to consider production itself; a view of Labastide du Vert from Marquayrol where industry and agriculture may rely on labor. It looks like a view of a productive landscape. Editor: Interesting perspective! For me, the brushwork is striking; all these small, vibrant dots of color applied in the style of divisionism. It's a technique that, in his hands, gives a real sense of depth. And there is so much going on with complementary greens and oranges that really activate the painted surface. Curator: Divisionism enabled the efficient production of visual interest, and Martin produced many such scenes. But let's consider the labor implied by that surface—not only the labor of the artist applying paint, but the labor enacted within the landscape itself, with smoke signalling working structures. Editor: I think that you're correct in assuming work taking place in the scene. And, if you step back, all those tiny marks really come together— coalesce almost— to form a coherent whole. Martin uses color and impasto to draw the eye into various spatial relationships that, for me, construct something more than mere industry. Curator: Maybe there is a synthesis. Martin, with divisionist style and industrial-agricultural landscapes, gives a modern painterly treatment, efficiently depicting new material conditions. What do you take away from seeing the art? Editor: For me, I notice the balance, it has an enduring and serene feeling while enacting something much larger than just an industry scene. A very skilled composition.