Steeplechase - Tears of Grass 1997

Editor: We're looking at Robert Keyser's 1997 print, "Steeplechase - Tears of Grass". It feels almost like a child's drawing, with simplified shapes and a limited colour palette. What do you make of its playful, almost naive style? Curator: I see it as a visual poem, echoing societal narratives around land use and resource extraction. The title "Tears of Grass" is a clear entry point, framing the work as a lament. Editor: A lament? The bright colours don't immediately suggest sadness to me. Curator: But what are those colours highlighting? Consider the geometric tears, and the harsh black shapes against the ground tone. Is the simplification of forms a commentary on the way we reduce nature to abstract commodities? Think about how industrialization flattens complex ecosystems. Editor: So, it's not just a pretty picture – it’s questioning our relationship with the environment? Curator: Precisely. Keyser is prompting us to consider the historical context of our exploitation of nature. What power dynamics are at play? Whose tears are these, really? Editor: That shifts my perspective. I was focused on the composition, but you've opened up a whole conversation about environmental responsibility. Curator: Art is a powerful tool for social critique. Keyser uses this seemingly simple print to spark critical engagement with ecological issues and societal accountability. Editor: I’ll definitely look at seemingly "childish" art with different eyes from now on. Thank you. Curator: It's a pleasure to view these pieces with a new perspective.