Le duel 2014

Curator: Standing before us is Carlos Sablón’s oil on canvas painting, "Le duel," created in 2014. Its dramatic central figure immediately arrests attention. Editor: It’s rather unsettling, isn't it? The way the white horse rears up against that otherworldly landscape... There’s a peculiar tension that vibrates from the scene, an uncanny valley feeling almost. Curator: Sablón's work often blends surrealism with elements of realism. Here, the juxtaposition of the rearing horse and the coiled serpent creates a charged dynamic, symbolic perhaps of power structures or internal conflict. How might this play with narratives of dominance, especially when contextualizing the art from 2014? Editor: The horse as a long-established symbol of nobility and strength is fascinating. Look at the small design on its flank, though: it suggests a kind of branding, complicating the message of unbridled power. The snake with its peculiar collar gives a sense of biblical symbols. In that view, we see the landscape as another view of paradise, maybe after the first sin? The light on the landscape and figures conveys a theatrical mood, what memories might the creator recall when building this narrative? Curator: Interesting point. Also, consider the use of surrealist landscape in the background. What kind of challenge that artistic expression gives to established assumptions about "realistic" portrayals of power and how art might invite conversation around who holds it? It moves us to re-examine existing social structures within the space represented, and question the ongoing struggle for identity and acknowledgement within society. Editor: The almost baroque style also contributes, not only recalling myths, but more ancient meanings, as if looking at an iconostasis. Perhaps the painting works on several levels of awareness. I agree that, from the use of symbolic animals to its stylized features, "Le duel" prompts profound questioning. Curator: Ultimately, Carlos Sablón asks viewers to question conventional wisdoms and assumptions in the symbolic fight illustrated on canvas. Editor: This painting really made me pause and re-evaluate inherited images and assumptions!