The Places We Leave Behind 2016

Editor: Here we have Mark Maggiori’s “The Places We Leave Behind” from 2016, an oil painting that evokes a real sense of ruggedness. I am immediately drawn to the sweeping landscape behind the rider and horse, it really feels immense. How do you interpret this work through the lens of its formal elements? Curator: Focusing on the purely visual, observe how the artist utilizes a high horizon line to compress the pictorial space, emphasizing the imposing presence of the mountains. The diagonal recession created by the grassy slope establishes a dynamic relationship between the foreground and the background elements. The relatively muted color palette—predominantly earthy tones and subtle blues— contributes to a sense of serene, yet melancholic grandeur. Editor: The brushwork seems pretty important, doesn't it? I mean the application of paint appears rather textured and free. Curator: Precisely. Note the impasto technique, particularly in the depiction of the grass, sky and the horse’s mane. Maggiori manipulates the materiality of the paint itself to generate a sense of tactile immediacy. The looseness invites viewers to fill in the visual information, to actively engage with the process of image creation. Consider how these structural devices communicate, not merely representationally, but experientially. Editor: That’s interesting. So it’s less about what is painted, and more about how it's painted? Curator: In a way. By scrutinizing the formal relationships—the balance of line, color, texture, and composition— we come to see the work, in and of itself. And this brings the essence of visual expression into relief. Editor: Okay, I see how that shifts the emphasis. Thanks, I am finding this exploration incredibly helpful! Curator: Likewise. Reflecting upon the visual scaffolding unveils latent dimensions of artistic intention, I believe.