Rocks, Port Goulphar, Belle Ile 1889

Editor: Here we have Dodge Macknight's watercolor, "Rocks, Port Goulphar, Belle Ile." The colors are so vibrant! What stands out to you about the materiality and process of this work? Curator: I see how Macknight, as a committed watercolorist, challenges the traditional hierarchy placing oil painting above. Look at the unblended washes, the visible brushstrokes. Editor: Yes! The layers feel almost unfinished, revealing the art-making process. Curator: Exactly. This directness subverts the notion of art as a polished commodity, foregrounding instead the labor and materiality of its creation. What did you learn? Editor: I’m now considering how the artist's choice of watercolor challenges conventional perceptions of value and artistic skill. Thank you!