Giant's Causeway 1772

Editor: This is John Clevely the Second’s "Giant's Causeway," made in 1772. It's a print, seemingly from a drawing, and it depicts this very dramatic coastal landscape. There's something almost geometric about the rocks, and that contrast with the figures gives the piece a striking, somewhat unsettling quality. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: I see a compelling exploration of form and contrast. Note the stark geometry of the basalt columns against the rounded, almost caricatured figures. The composition draws the eye from the lower, darker rocks up to the lighter, less defined cliffs. Editor: It is a bit strange how those figures are rendered, now that you mention it. Curator: Precisely. The figures act almost as visual punctuation. Their relative simplicity emphasizes the complexity and detail lavished upon the geological formations. Consider the semiotic relationship at play here: nature represented as structured and rational, while humanity appears almost incidental. Editor: So, you're saying the artist is prioritizing the structure of the landscape over the people in it? Curator: Indeed. It provokes the thought that we are a less structured part of nature. Clevely is less interested in capturing a realistic scene and more engaged in exploring the formal relationships within the composition. Notice how the texture shifts drastically depending on whether there is shadow or light present in each rocky structure. Editor: I never would have considered the geometric relationships between everything depicted and how it guides your eye around. Curator: Focusing on that invites us to decode the language of forms, and appreciate how line, shape, and contrast communicate. Editor: Well, I will certainly be thinking more about semiotics when considering structure going forward! Curator: I would consider that a very productive outcome.