Brown Tree 1974

Curator: This is Eyvind Earle's "Brown Tree," an acrylic painting from 1974. It’s a striking example of his distinctive style. Editor: Oh, wow. My first thought? It's both eerie and incredibly calming. That strange tree against the muted sky—it's like something from a dream I once had! Curator: Earle’s work often features stylized landscapes that draw inspiration from geometric abstraction and the landscapes he saw throughout his life. We might consider how he employs line to construct a sense of organic form within a structured pictorial space. Editor: I love that 'structured space' idea. The lines of the tree itself almost feel like musical notation. It's as though the painting is a silent score, and the clouds little notes drifting by. I imagine them sounding like Debussy! Am I crazy? Curator: Not at all. These forms can conjure numerous associations, particularly when we think about them within their historical and social context, moving past conventional readings of landscape art to delve into what "nature" and our relationship to it meant during the post-industrial period of the 1970s. Think about rising environmental consciousness, new age mysticism and how form might represent these tensions. Editor: Totally. It is dark, though. Is it about climate anxiety before that was even a term? It feels a little ominous too with those dark gaping parts that show up a the trunk of the tree. Curator: It’s valid to explore those darker interpretations. We also have to account for the potential the tree represents, as well as any perceived absence. We could consider ideas related to potential growth in relation to decay. What do these opposing states represent? What histories are implicated in them? Editor: I love how you’ve opened up all these thought possibilities. Thanks for that. For me, it’s staying with me. A memory in browns… I could spend hours getting lost in it. Curator: It truly invites contemplation, urging us to look beyond surface appearances and engage with deeper, more complex narratives embedded within this unique visual language.