Le Cap Canail, Cassis 

Curator: This is Roderic O'Conor's "Le Cap Canail, Cassis", an oil painting seemingly made en plein-air. The brushstrokes are quite visible. It feels like an intimate scene despite the grand landscape, what stands out for you? Editor: I’m struck by the vivid colours and how thickly the paint is applied. It’s like the materiality of the paint itself is creating the landscape. I’m wondering what the choice of painting outdoors tells us about his artistic process? Curator: Precisely. Painting en plein air inherently links the work to the physical conditions and labour of its creation. The direct exposure to the elements, the portability of materials, and the rapid execution demanded by fleeting light conditions shaped not only the appearance, with its visible brushstrokes and thick impasto showcasing the physical act of applying the oil-paint, but also his overall technique. How do you think this affected the commodification of his work? Editor: I guess by showing that artistic production can’t be divorced from the real world. It kind of subverts traditional high art, moving away from idealized representations to celebrate the messy, hands-on reality of creating art. This approach, and this location may appeal to wealthy buyers? Curator: Absolutely, this location may appeal to potential wealthy buyers. This interest could have shaped the subject-matter, and even impacted the painting’s value by linking it to desirable notions of leisure. So, tell me, how would you contextualize the rise of plein air painting within broader socio-economic shifts of the time? Editor: It sounds like it's almost a rejection of the industrialized world, while also paradoxically relying on new technologies to get painting supplies more easily and being part of consumption as a luxury item. I’ll need to consider all of that. Curator: Precisely. By delving into O’Conor’s methods and material context, we reveal fascinating connections to social, economic and cultural forces at play.