September 

Editor: So, this is Julie Bell's oil painting, "September". The two horses, these rich browns against a sun-drenched field… they seem to hold a quiet, watchful presence. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Beyond a simple animal portrait, the painting is steeped in visual metaphors. Consider the doubling – two horses, almost mirror images. Do they represent the duality of nature, the wild and the tame perhaps? Or something deeper, the conscious and unconscious aspects of ourselves, reflected in the animal gaze? Editor: That's a really interesting point. The gaze is so direct. I hadn’t considered the doubling in that way. Curator: And what of the white markings on their faces? Notice how they differ slightly. White often signifies purity, but it's altered here, suggesting a blending of innocence with something…else. Could be strength or untamed spirit. Editor: A 'blending of innocence’… the markings definitely individualize the animals beyond just color differences. It’s also there on their legs. So much intention. Curator: Exactly. What of the background landscape? Does its calmness reassure, or does the stark clarity of the horses hint at unseen anxieties or possibilities that lay outside our easy reading of the portraiture. Does that make sense? Editor: Yes, it does. The realistic, almost surreal juxtaposition makes me wonder if this is an invitation to explore more complex internal landscapes. Thanks, that really shifted how I was viewing the artwork. Curator: My pleasure. I’m glad to have offered another dimension in the ever present world of equine representation!