Paesaggio Al Vento 1976

Editor: We are looking at "Paesaggio Al Vento," or "Landscape in the Wind," created in 1976 by Maria Lai. It's a mixed-media collage with a strong emphasis on fiber. The textured browns and off-whites, along with the geometric shapes, create an interesting sense of depth. How would you interpret this work from a formalist perspective? Curator: The composition offers a dynamic interplay of textures and forms, with careful attention given to the material qualities of the media used. Observe how the juxtaposition of rough and smooth surfaces – the corrugated cardboard against the soft fabric, for instance – activates the visual field. Editor: Yes, I also notice how the white fabric cuts through the browns. The lines of thread across the brown create movement as well. Curator: Precisely. Note also how line, either implied or physically present in the threads, operates structurally to organize space. We see geometric order battling more chaotic arrangement. Are those inscribed elements perhaps an encoding, a symbolic language reduced to line? Editor: They seem almost like glyphs, like fragmented language, maybe from her native Sardinia? I can't decipher it, though. I see so much line, yet the rough fabric introduces texture and disrupts a clean interpretation. It makes me think that even the most simple forms can hold complexity. Curator: Agreed. Through manipulating humble materials, Lai achieves a sophisticated meditation on form, texture, and symbolic language. Editor: Thanks, I never thought about texture so much. That’s definitely a new avenue to appreciate mixed-media works.