Landscape 2015

Editor: So, here we have Mariojosé Ángeles' "Landscape" from 2015, rendered in acrylic. It’s an interesting mix of representational and abstract elements... Almost like looking at a dreamscape. What do you see in this piece, particularly in terms of the artist's process and the materials used? Curator: The blurred distinctions of this "Landscape" certainly spark inquiry. How does Ángeles employ acrylic – a relatively modern material – to depict something as timeless as landscape? Look at the washes, the layering. What kind of labour went into producing this "natural" scene? I would be keen to understand what drove the artist towards using such industrial medium. Editor: It's true; the acrylic gives it a certain... artificiality, maybe? Does that speak to a specific commentary about our relationship with nature? Are the traditional landscape genre expectations upended by a critical perspective in a new era? Curator: Precisely! Consider how the means of production inform our understanding. Acrylic paint, readily available and easily manipulated, democratizes the art-making process to a point. Does this accessibility alter the value or perceived meaning of the "landscape" itself? I want to ask you - what do you make of it, observing these layers, considering consumption? Editor: That’s fascinating. I hadn’t thought about the accessibility of the materials influencing our reading of the piece. It suggests a more grounded, less romantic view of nature. Something less precious. Curator: It becomes about our engagement, our labor in viewing, the interaction between materials and maker, and the artist with the consumer. These processes help unlock potential meaning. Editor: I learned to consider material's history for a fresh read of familiar landscape conventions. Curator: Yes. I’ll be pondering if acrylic enables the artist’s creativity in unprecedented ways!