Finnart 

Editor: Here we have “Finnart” by David Young Cameron, a watercolor drawing made en plein-air. The tones are wonderfully muted, almost sepia. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, let's consider the 'plein-air' aspect first. The artist’s choice of watercolor, a readily portable and immediate medium, suggests a deliberate engagement with the environment. The material reality of the scene - the land, the sky, the subtle variations in light - all are filtered through the artist’s labor and translated through pigment and water. Notice how the brushstrokes follow the land contour? How does the materiality speak to the socio-economic conditions that made such travel and artistic production possible? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn't really thought about the materials relating to accessibility and labor like that. Does the almost faded, pale quality suggest something about the subject too? Curator: Absolutely. It encourages us to question how the raw materials were sourced, and how this scene - which appears serene - may belie complex socio-political structures regarding land ownership and access to resources. Consider, for example, what activities might occur in this landscape, and who is permitted or excluded from undertaking them? Think of material practices that have formed the terrain: how are agriculture or transportation related to how it appears to us here? Editor: So, by looking at the materiality and process, we move beyond a purely aesthetic appreciation and towards a broader understanding of the landscape’s social and economic context? Curator: Precisely. It encourages critical reflection beyond face value. Considering art from a materialist point of view makes us reflect upon the history of that space. Editor: I’ve definitely learned to see beyond just the surface of this artwork. I’ll be questioning the 'how' and 'why' behind artistic choices much more from now on. Curator: As will I. It serves to look again and deeper.