Dawn (Lines and Destinations) 2011

Editor: So, this is Jo Baer’s "Dawn (Lines and Destinations)" from 2011, a mixed media piece incorporating acrylic paint and watercolor. It’s strangely compelling, almost like looking at a landscape through a fractured lens. What stands out to you about this work? Curator: For me, the key lies in understanding Baer's exploration of materiality and process. She challenges traditional painting by highlighting the act of construction. The way she combines acrylic and watercolor, for instance, emphasizes their distinct properties. It’s less about representing a landscape and more about exposing the means through which that representation is fabricated. Editor: That's interesting. I was so focused on trying to understand what the imagery meant. Curator: Exactly. Consider the "lines and destinations" in the title. Are these physical routes, perhaps trade routes, made visible? And what of the production of the pigments themselves – where were they sourced, how were they processed, by whom? These choices transform painting into a form of critical commentary, questioning what painting can be and how meaning is made through its materials and the labour involved. The canvas isn't just a surface, but a site of material investigation. Editor: I never thought about the production that went into even just the paint itself. Curator: Indeed. By focusing on the materials and the construction of the image, Baer forces us to confront the social and economic underpinnings of art production, moving beyond mere aesthetic appreciation. It’s a materialist approach. Editor: So, it's less about what it depicts and more about how it’s made and the journey of those materials? Curator: Precisely. The journey from raw pigment to finished canvas, from the artist’s studio to our gaze, that's where the real "lines and destinations" lie. Editor: This has really opened my eyes to a completely different way of analyzing art. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Always remember to question the materials!