Landscape 19th-20th century

Curator: I find this "Landscape," a watercolor by Denman Waldo Ross, so charmingly unresolved. Something about the way the forms blur and bleed together makes it feel like a half-remembered dream. Editor: It evokes for me the ongoing debates about land use and ownership, particularly concerning the aestheticization of landscapes that often obscures histories of displacement and exploitation. Curator: Whoa, that's heavy! I was just thinking about how the loose brushstrokes give it such a light, airy feel, like a fleeting moment captured on paper. Editor: But fleeting for whom? The privilege to observe and appreciate a landscape without acknowledging its complex social and political history is itself a form of power. Curator: Well, I can appreciate both the dreamy quality and the layers of meaning you bring to it. It's a reminder that even the most seemingly innocent image can be a site of contention. Editor: Precisely. Let's keep looking, questioning, and challenging the stories we tell ourselves about the world around us.