Landscape, Maine 1991

Curator: Welcome. Before us we have Elena Prentice’s delicate watercolor, *Landscape, Maine*. Editor: There's a deceptive stillness here. At first, it seems straightforward, even simple. Curator: Indeed. Prentice captures the essence of the Maine coastline with just a few horizontal brushstrokes. Note the muted grays and blues. Editor: Those bands of color aren't just representational; they're almost abstract. I'm struck by how the reflections seem more substantial than the landscape itself. What is the real, and what is simply the trace? Curator: Perhaps Prentice is suggesting that our perceptions shape our reality. That the memory of a place becomes as important as the place itself. Editor: Well, that's certainly given me pause. There's more to this little landscape than initially meets the eye.