Window plants 2021

Curator: Nick Alm’s "Window Plants," painted in 2021 using oil paints, presents an intimate, sun-drenched interior scene. Editor: Ah, it just makes me want to curl up with a book! The soft light and the abundance of plants... it’s almost claustrophobic but in a comforting way. What I love is the hazy, dreamlike quality of it all, you know? Curator: That's a fascinating take. The soft focus certainly evokes a sense of reverie. Considering the period, perhaps this inward-looking composition is indicative of a societal shift towards finding solace in domesticity—a recurring theme, actually. Editor: Domesticity yes! But I sense something else, too, an appreciation of a quiet observation. Each plant has its own gesture in its growth and, each captures light differently, some in shadows, a secret in the everyday moments! Curator: Indeed. Alm is clearly drawing upon traditional realist painting, particularly the emphasis on capturing light and shadow, while simultaneously modernizing it. Think about the legacy of representing the domestic space through paintings... and then bringing them home as "domestic decor" for others. Editor: What gets me, though, is the contrast between the vibrant foliage and the pale walls. The texture, you know? Thick oil paint versus a wispy backdrop. I almost feel a bit like the artist in my own room. A simple life surrounded by light and foliage is a beautiful sight in painting. Curator: It's a careful tension, alright. These juxtapositions underscore the painting's larger engagement with creating intimate settings as objects for public viewership and display. Alm uses it to engage conversations regarding comfort. It seems there is a dialogue on the domestic ideals happening on social platforms currently as well! Editor: Well said! The piece certainly gave me space to think… the interplay of interior and external worlds – so human. A pause, as though the window isn't just glass, but a moment. Curator: Indeed, a moment worth contemplation—about where art is and how we frame what it is allowed to be. Editor: Makes me want to do my own window plant oil painting!