Houses, Cobalt 1932

Editor: Here we have Franklin Carmichael’s watercolor, *Houses, Cobalt*, created in 1932. It looks like a winter scene. The weight of the snow feels…ominous, almost, despite the quaint houses. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: It is tempting to view the houses merely as representational, but consider their shapes and the geometric forms carved into the landscape. Observe the recurring motif of triangular roofs mirroring the slope of the hills. These are echoed by the darker triangles punctuating the snowy foreground, creating a visual rhythm. Do you see how the cool blues and lavenders contrast with the warm ochre tones of the illuminated windows? Editor: Yes, the colors really do create contrast in depth across the buildings and snowbanks, I see that, although I wouldn’t necessarily have called it "rhythm." Curator: Note how Carmichael uses the medium of watercolor to enhance the flatness of the composition. Washes of diluted color emphasize the surface, refusing deep perspectival illusion. The effect is a delicate balance between representation and abstraction, highlighting the material qualities of the paint itself. It emphasizes, for example, how it's more of an impression. Editor: I hadn’t considered that the lack of traditional perspective might be a deliberate choice, it opens it up a lot, because it’s what my eye keeps wanting to create. Curator: Precisely. Editor: Thinking about Carmichael manipulating depth helps clarify that tension that I saw initially in the imagery of “ominous” architecture set in place by snowfall. Thanks. Curator: The effect would not be the same without it. It has been a pleasure.