Dry Leaves 

Curator: We are looking at "Dry Leaves", an oil painting by Iwo Zaniewski, which he made working en plein-air. Editor: My first thought? An endless lawn party attended by ghostly revelers who’ve vanished at dawn. So still, yet full of some hidden… life cycle. Curator: Zaniewski was clearly interested in capturing a fleeting moment in nature, maybe a reflection on impermanence, considering the painting’s title. This invites us to consider the societal relationship between land, nature and our role in shaping its destiny. Editor: That is, if you want to feel the weight of the world on your shoulders this morning! I see it, but still... it’s oddly cheerful despite the muted tones, like a vintage postcard from a place I vaguely remember visiting. I can almost smell the damp earth. Curator: These natural motifs serve to remind us of land use policies and sustainability issues. Consider how urban development frequently overshadows green spaces and this resonates powerfully with discussions about the intersection of ecological justice and social equity. Editor: So you're saying it’s a political protest masquerading as a pretty picture? Maybe! But sometimes beauty can be its own form of protest, right? Or at least a necessary respite. I feel grounded just looking at it. All those tiny strokes...the labor involved, just to give us a simple glimpse of this backyard…it’s kinda punk rock, you know? Refusing the spectacle, finding the sublime in the mundane. Curator: It is precisely this intimate gaze upon the everyday, reflecting labor in unassuming spaces, that resonates within broader social and economic discourses around visibility, recognition and justice. Zaniewski subtly demands attention to these overlooked environments, raising important questions of representation and ecological consciousness. Editor: I like how we landed there! For me, I'm keeping that damp earth smell. Curator: And I, thinking about those untold human-nature stories—hope visitors will leave with more questions than answers about the natural spaces around them.