Translation 

Curator: This is “Translation” by Agnes Lawrence Pelton, an intriguing abstract painting with ethereal qualities. Editor: My initial thought is…serenity. It's calming. The soft hues and blended colors give the impression of dawn. A rather strange dawn, granted, but a dawn nonetheless. Curator: Let’s look closer at the making. The blended application hints that Pelton possibly employed techniques akin to watercolor or fluid art. What stands out to me is the layering – evidence of underpainting that adds depth and allows light to subtly shift across the surface. The means of production suggest a meditative process. Editor: I’m drawn to that central motif, almost an antenna reaching towards the heavens. Note how it echoes the crescent moon, visually linking earthly and celestial realms. I find it acts like a bridge between known and unknown. Given Pelton’s interest in spirituality, it probably represents a search for higher understanding. Curator: I see your point, yet, consider how this visual symbolism is inherently connected to Pelton's artistic practice. The creation of such potent imagery is, in essence, a form of artistic labor itself. She carefully manipulated paints, exploiting the capabilities of her materials to visualize the invisible. Editor: True, she transforms the tangible into the intangible. Think of how the rising sun and moon commonly mean time’s passage or duality. Here, both present together. But they could symbolize complementary opposites merging, achieving transcendence. She gives visual form to abstract spiritual states. Curator: Considering this work from the vantage of abstract expressionism allows an appreciation of its radical departure. Rather than merely representing emotional states, Pelton endeavored through materiality and application techniques to access these deeper transcendental realms, inviting the viewer to engage in a synesthetic dialogue with the image. Editor: So, while its forms appear abstract, its core speaks universally of searching and meaning. The symbolism layered into “Translation” makes for a powerful artistic message and, also, it evokes a feeling that remains long after one looks away.