Grazing in Peace 1970

Editor: So, this is Eyvind Earle’s "Grazing in Peace," painted in 1970 using acrylic paint. It's strikingly simple, almost like a child's drawing, but there's also a stillness that's very compelling. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a deliberate reduction of forms, yes, but also a powerful invocation of memory. The abstracted landscape, dotted with these nearly identical black cows, suggests a kind of collective, agrarian memory. Think of it as an idealized vision of rural life—stripped of complexity and presented as pure, untroubled harmony. Editor: Harmony... because they all look alike, and all the same color? Curator: Partly. But also because the artist uses a consistent symbolic language. Notice how the shapes are simplified, the colours are muted, and the scene lacks sharp details. This contributes to a sense of universal experience rather than a specific one. These cows aren't individual animals; they're symbolic representations of pastoral tranquility. Editor: Like a symbol representing an idea? It reminds me a little of simplified landscapes you sometimes see in early Byzantine art, though much more minimal. Curator: Precisely! In both instances, there is an urge towards simplification. Earle presents to the modern eye a sanitized and universally accessible idea. Even the title reinforces that reading, directing our gaze towards an emotional state rather than a specific place. Does that connection with Byzantine art affect how you see this work? Editor: It gives me a richer appreciation of the ways that artists can carry symbolic representation through centuries. Now the uniformity and simplified details feel more deliberate and meaningful. Curator: And that, is precisely how a visual language is established and transcends history. It’s been wonderful teasing out those symbolic threads with you.