Kiss the Sky 2019

Curator: Mark Maggiori's 2019 oil painting, "Kiss the Sky," captures two figures on horseback amidst a dramatic mountain landscape. The composition positions us low, looking up at the riders against a backdrop of imposing peaks. Editor: My first thought is 'epic'. The sheer scale of those mountains contrasting with the almost nonchalant pose of the figures creates a palpable tension. I'm curious about that. Curator: The placement of the figures, centered and yet diminished by the landscape, suggests a commentary on humanity's relationship with nature and its simultaneous attempt to dominate and romanticize it, often reflected in idealized images of the West. This imagery has long served to propagate myths about freedom, manifest destiny, and even rugged masculinity. Editor: Right. We often forget that such representations are constructs. Who are the historical figures included, and who is erased from the frame of these idyllic images of the “Old West”? Where are the Indigenous people, for example, in this narrative? Is there an active acknowledgement of the harm done or perpetuated? Curator: Exactly! The choice of cowboys is itself loaded, recalling Westerns, popular entertainment, and deeply problematic depictions of frontier life and notions of nationhood. It certainly invites critique in its implicit, perhaps unconscious, adherence to well-worn paths. The specific rendering seems hyperreal, maybe even nostalgic, reminiscent of art found in early tourist promotions and national advertisements that propelled Western expansion and fantasies that fueled migration, displacement, and more. Editor: But I also think about contemporary notions of freedom as access and freedom as liberation. Maybe there's space in this contemporary version for recognizing the romantic impulse while simultaneously working to understand where those ideas fail certain groups. The contrast of delicate wildflowers alongside jagged peaks in this work adds to this push and pull. Are we supposed to appreciate or interrogate this setting? Curator: I see your point. Contemporary revisions that address marginalized histories have a critical role. However, without those active inclusions, this artwork, formally beautiful, still presents a risk in perpetuating historical oversights and traditional gender stereotypes that we continue to see even today in cowboy subcultures and fashion. Editor: Fair enough. It's a compelling reminder to always ask "Who is this West for, and at what cost?" when encountering these artworks. Curator: Indeed. Thanks for helping us dive deeper today, it adds valuable context to our visitor's viewing experience.