Autumn Sunrise 

Editor: This is John Miller's *Autumn Sunrise*, and it looks to be an acrylic painting, though the date is unknown. The hazy blocks of color make me think of looking at a landscape through fog. What's your take on it? Curator: It reminds me of the color field paintings of the mid-20th century, especially Rothko's work. But, instead of monumental scale expressing grand themes, this one hints at the relationship between modernism and the landscape tradition in art history. Can we consider it merely an aesthetic experience? Or are there institutional contexts at play? Editor: Are you suggesting the title guides us too much? Is it too easy to accept the painting simply as a pretty picture? Curator: Exactly. What expectations do we, as viewers, bring to a work like this? Does the title predetermine our reaction? Could we interpret it differently if it were titled "Color Study #3"? What happens to how we perceive its value then? Editor: So, its impact partially comes from its art historical context and the expectations that we bring to our interpretation of 'landscape' art? I never considered how much the *title* dictates reception. Curator: Indeed! And thinking critically about those imposed values changes how we understand the work itself. I find it fascinating to see the ways the market embraces or dismisses various types of abstraction, as well as what kinds of painting garner public acceptance through representation. Editor: That's fascinating; thanks for the fresh insight. It gives me much to think about, regarding not just art itself, but also our expectations when visiting galleries!