The Path 2014

Editor: Right, so this is "The Path" by Erin Hanson, painted in 2014, with acrylic on canvas. It strikes me as joyous, almost overwhelmingly so. The colours are just bursting forth. What do you see in this work? Curator: Oh, what a vibrant explosion of light and color, isn't it? It almost hums with energy. To me, it's as though Hanson is painting not just a landscape, but a feeling—the feeling of being immersed in nature's raw exuberance. The impasto technique she uses really brings that physicality to life, doesn't it? You can almost feel the texture of the leaves and bark. Does it remind you of fauvism a little? Editor: Yes, I can see some Fauvist influences there in the non-naturalistic use of color, that's a great catch. How does this technique reinforce what Hanson might be trying to say here? Curator: Exactly! The bold, unmodulated colors serve to heighten the emotional impact, like she’s turning the volume up on nature itself. I like to imagine her outdoors, letting the wind and the sun fuel her brushstrokes. Do you ever wonder if she captured the essence of a fleeting moment, perhaps a particularly luminous afternoon? Editor: I hadn't thought of that! I was really focused on how artificial and constructed everything felt but thinking of it as capturing a moment is intriguing. Curator: Yes, it's about transformation. Nature transformed through the lens of human emotion. Which makes you think, doesn’t it? I wonder where this path actually leads. Perhaps it’s a metaphor for the journey we're all on. Editor: It makes me want to grab my paints and dive headfirst into the nearest forest! Curator: Indeed! The raw expression and vibrant life this painting possesses can inspire a passion to capture the raw essence and fleeting brilliance of any scene!