Water Lilies 2016

Curator: Erin Hanson’s "Water Lilies," painted in 2016, explodes with colour. It feels utterly contemporary, even as it nods to impressionism and post-impressionism. The paint is so thick, it’s practically sculpted. Editor: My first impression is…joyful chaos. It’s like the artist bottled sunshine and then just let it spill onto the canvas. But there’s also this wildness, this unrestrained energy. It reminds me of Fauvist landscapes. Curator: I think the impasto technique really amplifies that feeling. Each brushstroke is almost a little jewel, catching light, reflecting it back. And you’re right about the Fauvist connection; there’s definitely that bold, arbitrary use of color at play. Hanson painted this en plein air, directly in response to the landscape. You can see the influence in the colour and application Editor: Right, so the social context is the continued interest in environmental and natural painting at the start of the 21st century, even with climate change accelerating. But "response" is the perfect word. The whole piece seems to shimmer, to vibrate. You don't just see water lilies, you almost feel the humidity in the air, the warmth of the sun. I'm struck by how the geometry mixes with those curving plants. Curator: Exactly. The geometric abstraction really gives it a contemporary edge while keeping some recognizable content. It skirts abstraction in a way that many find palatable. I agree, it captures that elusive feeling of a perfect summer day. Editor: I like that it rejects easy categorization; a kind of postmodern plein-air. I’m especially drawn to the parts where the lilies seem to dissolve into pure color and light. It becomes more about feeling than seeing, a really powerful evocation of a place. And as we know, memories of specific places evoke an interesting set of emotions. Curator: Yes, that emotional impact is what lingers. It's less a painting of water lilies and more a painting of light, of memory, of pure sensation. Editor: The conversation between representation and abstraction really highlights those connections between lived experience, and the creative transformation through memory and reflection. Well worth a stop.