Farewell To Simple Sorrows 2018

Editor: This acrylic painting is entitled "Farewell To Simple Sorrows" by Zoe Hawk, created in 2018. It presents a rather somber scene; a young woman sits in a plastic pool with a forlorn expression. The colors are vibrant, yet the mood feels melancholic. How do you interpret this work, focusing on its formal qualities? Curator: Immediately, the geometry strikes me. Note how the rigid, rectangular shapes of the buildings contrast with the circular pool. This juxtaposition creates a visual tension, perhaps mirroring the emotional discord the figure is experiencing. Observe also the artist’s carefully considered palette. The predominantly cool greens and blues evoke a sense of stillness, only punctuated by the figure's red swimsuit. How does this colour dynamic influence your reading? Editor: It amplifies the figure's isolation, almost making her the focal point. Also, the textures…the flat, almost naive rendering of the grass and architecture clashes intriguingly with the subtle ripples in the pool water. Curator: Precisely. This variance in surface treatment further enhances the painting’s inherent tensions. Notice that even the rendering of her form diverges in terms of brushstrokes to other areas of the painting. Are we to interpret a self/other dynamic being explicitly depicted here, formalistically? Editor: Perhaps. The entire composition feels intentionally disjointed, creating a push and pull effect. There’s a deliberate flattening of space, especially between the buildings, lawn and trees that prevent a recession into deep space. It’s this flatness, the odd positioning of the figure that brings me back to this. Curator: Yes, and isn't that precisely where the work's brilliance lies? Through formal manipulation, Hawk prompts viewers to ponder these opposing sentiments within this tableau of loneliness. Editor: Absolutely. Paying closer attention to the formal elements really unlocks a new understanding. It is about more than first meets the eye!