California Coaster 2022

Editor: Here we have Carrie Graber’s "California Coaster," painted in 2022. It looks like a classic, maybe even a little nostalgic, figurative painting of a rollercoaster at the beach. The palette feels warm, summery. How do you interpret this work, given its place in contemporary art? Curator: It's interesting that Graber is working in figurative painting and plein-air styles today, especially with clear fauvist influences. Consider how so many contemporary artists are working with digital media or abstraction. In that light, I wonder what this choice suggests about the artist's perspective on history, memory, and even entertainment? Think about amusement parks themselves; how do they function within our society and culture? Editor: That's a great point! The subject matter – the rollercoaster – it feels like an overt celebration of classic American leisure, and therefore potentially a comment on it, but the way she paints the hair and light especially makes the composition feel incredibly energetic. The bright lights seem very artificial, however. Curator: Yes, the artificiality is key. There’s this push-and-pull between the apparent naturalism of the beach scene and the undeniably manufactured nature of the rollercoaster. This could be seen as a comment on how leisure itself is often a carefully constructed experience. Do you think the artist is making a positive or critical statement with this imagery? Editor: I'm leaning toward critical. By depicting this almost hyper-real scene, she might be inviting us to consider the spectacle of it all. I suppose I see this piece very differently now – thanks! Curator: Exactly, thinking about the painting in relation to social practices and spectacle reframes it significantly. Art shapes and reflects its social context, which can offer commentary, challenge or validate ideas of how the world works. Hopefully we can examine these relationships throughout our tour.