In the Harbour of Pirano 

Curator: Looking at "In the Harbour of Pirano", I am immediately struck by the interplay of light and the palpable stillness of the water, almost dreamlike. Editor: Indeed, Tina Blau, most likely working en plein air, captured a rather fascinating atmosphere in this city by the sea with some visible Post-Impressionist strokes, wouldn’t you say? Note, if you will, how the buildings form horizontal strata with that magnificent tower thrusting skyward? The materiality gives form. Curator: It makes me wonder, what sounds were drifting across the harbor as she stood there, immortalizing that slice of life? And is that tower her subtle commentary on the enduring amidst the ephemeral? Or maybe she simply felt the urge to add a tiny upward line of defiance to counter those horizontal, flat shapes... It also has that feeling like the boats are waiting, holding their breath almost. Editor: Semiotically, these layered compositional elements direct the viewer’s gaze: the boats anchored in the foreground; the muted cityscape unfolding just beyond the docks; and, of course, the prominent tower we mentioned earlier. This creates a spatial hierarchy, doesn't it, thus rendering depth? It feels classical in its structure to me. Curator: Classical structure with a distinctly modern, Impressionistic soul. I sense a tension between those very planned pictorial components, and the intuitive gestures of its making… like she allowed her mood, the place to paint itself with her help of course. Do you notice the way the colour shifts slightly within each section: earth for the waterfront, various greens in the ship, some sky, tower... almost a personal echo. Editor: That might be a tad generous, yet, I do think we are confronted with a painting that invites sustained contemplation on pictorial organization as itself a subject. This focus seems to be in the formal tension it holds. A wonderful example of the aesthetic principles during this era. Curator: I love how Blau freezes a moment for us... Thank you for this closer look! Editor: Indeed, food for thought on an age-old quest: representation.