Haven 

Editor: This is "Haven" by Michael C. Hayes. It looks to be oil on canvas, and it gives me a dreamy, almost melancholic feeling. The woman blends into the landscape in a really interesting way. What stands out to you when you look at this painting? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the materiality and production involved. Look at the layering of oil paint to achieve the texture of the wood and the smooth flesh tones. Hayes is consciously engaging with a history of romantic landscape painting but undercutting it. It speaks to a commercial, consumerist attitude, where 'haven' itself can be manufactured. Notice also how her nakedness speaks to the history of erotic art produced for and controlled by wealthy patrons. How do the ravens alter the symbolism? Editor: They seem like symbols of death or ill omen in this otherwise seemingly peaceful setting. It is thought-provoking that the canvas creates a peaceful haven yet represents commodification. What purpose might Hayes have? Curator: The ravens introduce labor and environment - this 'haven' isn't some pristine wilderness, but a space populated and shaped. Their inclusion highlights the contrast, complicating a simplistic reading of refuge and challenging notions of pristine untouched nature, perhaps implying industry and labor exist here also. The question is, whose labor? Where are those materials sourced? Consider this 'haven' as a place of work. Editor: That's such a fascinating perspective. I had only seen the aesthetic beauty. But thinking about the work, labor and materials shifts everything. I see the image in a totally different light now! Curator: Exactly! It is important not to let the artistic touch to mystify the whole idea of labor. Now, would you agree with that interpretation? Editor: I think it opens a new lens for observing any piece. Thanks for pointing that out.