Milky Way 1990

Editor: Peter Doig’s “Milky Way,” painted in 1990, is such a captivating watercolor. The combination of dark colors and almost naive style create this surreal landscape, somewhere between dream and reality. What do you see in this piece, looking at it through an iconographic lens? Curator: I see a return to the primordial. The reflection is an inversion of our world with all its certainties: the stars, normally symbols of divine guidance, are duplicated into a confusing space, creating uncertainty, even disorientation. There’s a doubling here. What does doubling symbolize in mythology and psychoanalysis? Editor: Well, doubles often represent duality, perhaps the conscious and unconscious? Or maybe good versus evil? I guess it depends on the specific imagery involved. Curator: Precisely. Here, consider the “Milky Way.” It acts as a cosmic river, a road between worlds in many mythologies. Reflected, it suggests a descent into an underworld. The "naïve art" style contributes to this. There's a primal rawness, connecting us to something ancient. Look how these trees are presented almost as ideograms! What do trees signify across cultures? Editor: They are universal symbols of life, growth, connection between earth and sky… almost like a ladder in this painting. I’m starting to see how loaded this seemingly simple watercolor truly is. Curator: The personal and the universal, the psychological and the mythological – they coalesce here. Doig evokes memory, both individual and collective, blurring the boundaries. The painting triggers archetypal memories linked with nature. It becomes an invitation, to delve deeper into a personal symbolism, using the symbolic key shared by mankind. Editor: This really has shifted my perspective. I was initially drawn to the painting's surface, but understanding the weight of the symbols unveils so many other layers of interpretation. Thank you.