Big Red 

Curator: Let's turn our attention to "Big Red," an oil painting by Julie Bell. My first impression is one of dynamic energy and…heat. It feels incredibly visceral. Editor: Indeed. Visually, the work presents an intriguing study in movement. The diagonals formed by the horse, rider, and even the trailing calf create a powerful sense of propulsion. Note how Bell manipulates light to accentuate this forward thrust. Curator: Absolutely. The choice of subject matter also contributes to the dynamic, reflecting symbolic representations of American West as rugged, competitive, and powerful. This composition taps into those ingrained cultural myths. Editor: If we focus on its formal construction, the composition contains limited colors with high value intensity—this choice causes the forms within the painting to pop. The artist does a phenomenal job directing our attention through value to what’s truly important, leading our eyes. The high intensity color choices enhance the dramatic movement. Curator: Precisely. That intense red-orange palette echoes fire, blood, struggle—elemental forces connected to the spirit of the American West and the human drive to conquer nature, though I question who is dominating who here. Editor: An astute point! Note too, the ambiguity within its construction, a painting striving towards realism through technique, yet constructed of sweeping, gestural brushstrokes. Bell has created this painting as if action is perpetually occurring in the composition. The artist has intentionally applied thick brushstrokes and broken down form as a structural principle to generate this movement. Curator: I agree, which strengthens the visual language that celebrates these historic symbols, echoing paintings by Frederic Remington or Charles Marion Russell but rendered with a noticeably modern, almost fantastical, flourish. Editor: Overall, "Big Red" offers an example of visual language creating dramatic emotional content within its pictorial frame. Curator: And through its form, it engages us on a deeply visceral level. A testament, perhaps, to the enduring allure of symbolism through the raw aesthetics of realism.