In the mountains 1960

Editor: This is Martiros Sarian's "In the Mountains" from 1960, created using pencil on paper. The rough, almost hurried strokes give the piece a really raw and immediate feeling. It's quite simple, but really evokes a sense of place. What stands out to you in this drawing? Curator: I am struck by how Sarian distills the essence of "mountain". We see recurring triangular forms suggesting mountains echoing from foreground to horizon. These repeated, almost iconic, shapes evoke not just a physical place, but the very idea of a mountain. The oxen are so interesting. Consider their placement: in the foreground, relatively dark, yet their presence diminishes as the eye travels into the landscape, reducing in scale, until the creatures become strokes or dashes. What emotions are conjured by this play of dark and light, near and far? Editor: It makes me think about how humans and animals are a small part of such a big landscape, like the insignificance of daily life against something timeless. How do you think Sarian's heritage as an Armenian artist impacts how we see symbols in this artwork? Curator: Ah, Armenia! That history, the location--caught between east and west… Look at how he defines the planes in this work. Notice the hatching, seemingly arbitrary at first glance. Do you detect something structural within that frenzy? Is the image a true depiction of what he saw or a representation of the idea of homeland, memory, perhaps even longing? Editor: It’s a lot to consider – like a shorthand for memory that is instantly understandable. Curator: Exactly. Visuals rooted in history often carry complex layers that are at once immediate and deeply resonant. A mountain is never just a mountain, is it? Editor: No, it’s a story etched in time. Thank you.