Intimations 1943

Editor: Here we have Lawren Harris’s "Intimations," painted in 1943 using acrylic on canvas. It’s quite calming. The soft colors and geometric forms create a sense of... weightlessness, perhaps? What do you see in this piece? Curator: The floating geometric forms remind me of mandalas. Given Harris's interest in theosophy, it is easy to consider the symbols' relation to spiritual states. He moved away from representational landscapes later in his career, focusing on these abstract shapes. What emotions do the colours evoke for you? Editor: Mostly a sense of peace, but I wonder if there's more to it than just aesthetic pleasure. Is Harris trying to communicate something specific through these symbols? Curator: The symbols he employs are deliberately ambiguous, allowing for a range of personal interpretations. Consider the repeating shapes, almost mirroring each other – what visual echoes do you observe, and what significance might those connections hold within a wider spiritual or philosophical context? Editor: The mirroring is interesting. There are three main forms in similar shapes… almost like stacked worlds, the material one at the bottom in the stronger colours, up to a pure white one at the center? I wonder if it's about ascension, perhaps from physical to spiritual realms. Curator: An excellent observation! It's likely connected to that yearning for higher consciousness, and the process of transcending earthly concerns during a tumultuous time in world history. There are certainly no hard answers to these paintings. What would you say you’ve taken from our observations? Editor: I learned to look beyond the initial beauty of the painting and think about the deeper symbolism that the artist may have intended. Now I can interpret his shapes beyond their aesthetic, to a complex world of visual and cultural language. Curator: Exactly. Remember that images are imbued with layered meaning over time, through shifting psychological, cultural and historical lenses. This changes how we observe and absorb art, which is incredibly powerful.