Destin 1998

Curator: Bo Bartlett's painting, "Destin," from 1998, offers an arresting composition. What strikes you initially? Editor: The light is so muted, almost dreamlike, which gives it an atmosphere of quiet expectancy, perhaps even a little melancholy. The starkness of the figures against the hazy horizon certainly holds your attention. Curator: Absolutely. Bartlett’s works often play with the romantic tradition in American painting. Note his choice of figuration within a seascape. The work begs consideration alongside painters like Winslow Homer. There’s also a very deliberate public presence, even theatricality. Editor: I see that, especially in how he positions the nude figure—her pose feels iconic, like a classical sculpture reclining in the water. Is there a mythological layer at work? Are we looking at some sort of Venus rising from the sea or some other watery muse? Curator: The romanticism certainly plays with the notion of an idyllic or symbolic world. The artist invites readings of spirituality and mythology. Bartlett attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, steeped in the aesthetics of Thomas Eakins and his cohorts. Yet this painting suggests broader cultural currents in late-20th century America as well. The figure's languor hints at themes beyond simple beauty. Editor: Indeed, the image also subtly evokes ideas about vulnerability. In contrast with the passivity of the female nude, the man behind her almost literally seems to be holding the entire world afloat. A lifeguard, a lover, or both, Bartlett suggests an entire history through the cultural symbol of the nude and her guard. Curator: Well, to build on that further, in contemporary painting, even traditional subjects such as these figures or landscapes, gain power through our shared understanding of how such imagery has functioned across the history of Western art. And Bartlett has worked as a key public figure, as well as creating works after 9/11 which placed him in the historical discourse after trauma. Editor: So, rather than a simple revival of older forms, "Destin" feels like it opens to dialogues on a far wider canvas, encompassing history, cultural anxiety, and beauty simultaneously. Curator: Precisely. And a re-imagining of the public responsibility of art. Editor: Making the whole painting itself something of a symbol—laden, yet floating freely on the waves.