GRASSHOPPER 1999

Curator: Looking at Peter Doig’s "GRASSHOPPER," created in 1999, I’m immediately struck by this ethereal, dreamlike landscape... it's almost unsettling. Editor: Unsettling? I see a peaceful tranquility, but definitely, there is a strange atmospheric quality. Those slender, spectral tree trunks fading into a hazy blue background almost make it look like a faded memory. What really captures my attention, though, are the blotches of golden color at the bottom, sitting almost on the surface. It is hard to decipher if they represent dunes or wheat bundles. Curator: I agree, those abstract blobs are wonderfully ambiguous. Doig often incorporates techniques like frottage to build texture, and in this one you can also see the plein-air tradition showing its influence. He often distorts perspective, pulling us into these really psychologically charged spaces. Knowing that a grasshopper brings that association of rural scenery, that one finds its resonance and significance, particularly if the viewer comes from urban landscape. Editor: That rings true. There’s definitely a tension between representation and abstraction at play here. The trees, even with their spectral quality, are still trees, but those lower forms? Are they land? Light? Something else entirely? Curator: It is an element of mystery that holds this tension of what one calls 'abstraction'. The titles that he usually give, give rise to an alternative meaning and invites viewers to create their interpretation. Is that what he intends to do, I wonder sometimes! I think about how his works are increasingly being recognized for their social commentary, perhaps due to the themes explored or, in my view, more because the socio-political climate allows more recognition to different styles. What would Doig have to say about how these historical interpretations will frame future views on "GRASSHOPPER?" Editor: It's funny, that. This piece, at first glance, looks quiet, but it hums with a quiet disruption of perception. Maybe it does speak volumes. Thank you for that illuminating tour! Curator: Indeed, an uncanny piece of art. Glad we've spent some time on it.