Grand Canyon 1902

Editor: Here we have Maxfield Parrish's "Grand Canyon" from 1902, an oil painting. It strikes me as intensely dramatic, almost theatrical, with its exaggerated colours and stark contrasts. What stands out to you most about this piece? Curator: It’s precisely that dramatic flair that speaks volumes. Parrish painted this at a time of increasing industrialisation, and alongside a growing awareness of environmental fragility as it related to Indigenous land rights. Consider how these majestic, almost fantastical landscapes become stand-ins for a disappearing ‘frontier,’ ripe for exploitation and commodification. How does this romantic ideal play into ongoing settler-colonial narratives of ownership and control, especially since it was created by a white male artist from the East Coast? Editor: That's a compelling perspective. I hadn’t considered it in terms of land rights and settler-colonialism. The very beauty of it, the way he romanticizes the landscape… Curator: Exactly. The aesthetic allure might serve to obscure those deeper, more troubling connections to power and privilege. Consider the deliberate omission of any trace of Indigenous presence in this "untouched" wilderness. What is gained, and what is lost, in such a visual representation? Editor: I see what you mean. By not showing any people, it reinforces a certain narrative about the American West, obscuring the reality of who really lived there. Curator: It's about more than just the painting itself; it is a crucial site for decolonising practices that can confront, re-interpret, and transform narratives concerning landscape, belonging, and stewardship. Editor: It's amazing how looking through a social and historical lens can completely change how you see a painting. Thank you for opening my eyes. Curator: My pleasure. It’s in these conversations that we challenge traditional art historical narratives and seek deeper understandings of ourselves and the world around us.