Ben's Box 1994

Editor: This is Mary Fedden’s "Ben's Box," painted in 1994 using oil paints. There’s a playful, almost naive quality to it, and the colour palette is dominated by striking reds. How do you read the composition in this still life? Curator: The composition is remarkably considered, wouldn't you agree? The layering of forms, both geometric and organic, establishes a carefully balanced tension. The zebra in the background is unexpectedly juxtaposed with the striped pitcher in the foreground, creating a subtle mirroring of patterns. How do you perceive the role of colour within this structure? Editor: I see that the repetition of red brings everything together, but also flattens the perspective. It’s almost like a stage set, isn’t it? Curator: Indeed. Note how Fedden employs colour not as representational, but as structural. The near-monochromatic background highlights the nuanced variations within the objects themselves, emphasizing their forms through subtle tonal shifts. The bright orange sun at the horizon—what is its function? Editor: Maybe it is supposed to suggest the presence of something beyond what’s on the table. The unexpected intrusion of this background draws attention to the objects' spatial arrangement. It's less about their "thing-ness" and more about how they interact. Curator: Precisely! Through this arrangement, Fedden seems to explore the very language of painting. It's as if she's saying, “This is not simply a collection of objects; it is a system of signs." Editor: This deeper dive into "Ben's Box" gives me so much to think about, and has taught me so much. Thanks! Curator: And for me too! Analyzing these intrinsic aspects really sharpened my vision, revealing Fedden's manipulation of pictorial space.