Las Hemanas 2018

Editor: We’re looking at "Las Hermanas," an oil painting by Terri Kelly Moyers, created in 2018. The impasto technique really makes the embroidered shawls stand out, creating a rich, tactile surface. I'm struck by the symmetry, and how the light emphasizes their movement. What are your thoughts on the formal elements here? Curator: The work operates within a carefully constructed framework of realism, yet subtly deviates from strict representation through its textural emphasis. The rhythmic repetition of figures draped in these magnificent shawls creates a visual cadence. It's almost like a dance frozen in time. Do you perceive how the interplay of light and shadow sculpts not just form, but also depth and narrative tension within the composition? Editor: Yes, definitely. The shadows create depth, but there are no sharp edges and instead an airy, warm overall color scheme. Also, can you say more about “narrative tension”? I can’t tell if it’s about sisterhood or something more. Curator: Observe how the composition positions the figures. They are enclosed within a limited field, caught in a moment of transition. Is it performance, ritual, or mere camaraderie? Moyers masterfully leaves these questions open, inviting the viewer to contemplate the relationships between subject, form, and context. The beauty exists, formally, because of its ambiguity and resulting multiplicity. Editor: That’s a new way of seeing, thank you. So the artist focuses on the way form itself communicates without specific, or perhaps imposed, narratives. I see that more clearly now! Curator: Indeed. A rigorous examination of the formal qualities allows us a purer aesthetic encounter with the artwork.