The Day They Breached the Dam 2012

Editor: This is Bo Bartlett's "The Day They Breached the Dam" from 2012, an oil painting portraying two women on a couch. The painting evokes a sense of intimacy, and it appears to me that the texture of the fabrics really comes through. What stands out to you about this work? Curator: As a materialist, I’m particularly drawn to the way Bartlett uses oil paint to represent everyday textures and objects, transforming them into carriers of meaning. Consider the labor involved in creating the canvas, the grinding of the pigments for the oil paint, even the sourcing of the couch itself, the clothes that they have one. Where were they produced? By whom? For what reasons? Editor: That's a fascinating way to consider the work! How does that perspective inform the overall reading of the portrait? Curator: Thinking materially, the contrast between the contemporary clothing and the classical-style painting in the background becomes more pronounced. We start seeing that the artistic practice itself is layering and juxtaposing production processes separated by generations of methods and cultural contexts. We see these contemporary people represented through a classical style with modern materials. Editor: That is something that didn't catch my eye, I had to zoom in to realize the material was paint! Do you think Bartlett is commenting on the commodification of art by placing it in a domestic setting like this? Curator: Precisely! The painting isn't just *of* two women; it is actively engaged in a conversation about artistic labor, commodity culture, and how materials shape our understanding of representation itself. He draws our attention to the very systems that create and sustain art as both cultural object and commodity. Editor: I never thought about it this way. I see much more intention with these considerations, like how the couch is aged but the clothes they wear look rather new. Thank you! Curator: Absolutely, by focusing on materiality, we gain a richer understanding of the complex layers embedded within seemingly straightforward representations.