WALK THE WAY OF THE CROSS

In 'Clouds, Mountains and a Lake', shifting hues of greens, purples, and blues evoke the iridescence of mother of pearl. Rolling hills in the foreground give way to steep, towering mountains that dominate the sky, sharp peaks cutting through the wispy clouds. Below, a lake reflects the mountains across the dark mirror of its placid surface. In the heart of the painting, a black void looms, creating an ominous, enigmatic presence. Such elements create a landscape that appears both familiar and strange—an inscrutable, eerie terrain that invites yet challenges viewers.

During his time in Nevada in the 1930s, Maynard Dixon turned his attention to the geological formations of the American Southwest. Overlooking the desert, a steep, rocky cone dominates the scene. Shadows span the foreground, creating stark contrasts throughout that draw attention to the white channels and harder red stones tumbling down from the peak. Across a flat expanse and along the distant horizon, a range of mountains stretches against a blue sky, white clouds resting just behind them. This painting captures a specific time of day in 1934 yet reveals millions of years of geological history and change.

According to Marie Watt (Seneca Nation), “I’m interested in how blankets are objects that we take for granted, but that can have extraordinary histories.” By stacking something as familiar as blankets into a towering column, Watt’s work contains many rich layers of meaning: