VEDUTA (WHISTLER NOCTURNE) | WHITNEY BEDFORD

Nature plays a central role in Whitney Bedford’s work (Baltimore, 1976). Her pieces explore themes such as land consumption and, more broadly, the destructive use of territory. Starting from a personal reinterpretation of historical landscape paintings, Bedford contrasts lush, green nature—usually placed in the background, representing the past—with dry plants and shrubs in the foreground, drawing attention as a sign of an arid and struggling present.
Bedford adopts a simple yet distinctive visual language, using repetition and seriality as an expressive tool to highlight an urgent issue: climate change.

A prolific artist, Bedford has dedicated much of her work to the Veduta series, which represents a significant part of her production.
Veduta (Whistler Nocturne), a 2019 piece from this series, is visually simple yet striking. The scene contains only a few elements: in the foreground, three tall, bright yellow cacti decorated with a pattern of black lines and dots; in the background—a hazy, ethereal night sky—an indistinct, loosely defined orange shape floats in a sea of blue and azure brushstrokes, harmoniously contrasting with the cacti’s color.
The artist enhances the composition with scattered light-colored dots, which could either represent distant, luminous stars or sparks from a burning fire—perhaps the enigmatic orange stain itself.

Graphically, the artwork is divided in a manner reminiscent of technical drawing boards used for axonometric projections: the two vertical planes—forming an angular background—are occupied by the sky, while the horizontal plane is painted in a solid, vibrant blue.
This structural choice is a defining feature of the entire series: by creating an intriguing illusionistic effect, Bedford seems to place the viewer inside an enclosed, protected space—something like a ‘winter garden’ that offers an almost immersive view of the surrounding environment while still clearly delineating the space.
However, this privileged position is invaded by the cacti, revealing the false sense of security evoked by the ‘winter garden.’ Veduta (Whistler Nocturne) thus becomes a metaphor, prompting reflection on the dangers of ongoing changes and the forces of nature when they spiral out of control.

Whitney Bedford
Veduta (Whistler Nocturne), 2019
Ink and oil on panel, 60.96 x 83.82 cm (24″ x 33″)
Courtesy of the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles
Photo credit: Evan Bedford

01/02/25