Gaia 2019

Editor: We're looking at "Gaia" by Camilla d'Errico, made in 2019, with oil paint. The figure of the pregnant woman emerging from a leafy cloak struck me; there's a kind of surreal innocence to it, and it reminds me of old allegorical paintings, but in a very modern style. What catches your eye? Curator: The deliberate choice of oil paint, a traditional medium often associated with the Western art canon, immediately makes me think about the artist's engagement with art history and how she consciously chooses to either align or diverge from those conventions through materiality and fabrication methods. Look at how the leaves are rendered. Editor: You mean, the way the texture is created by layering the paint? Curator: Exactly! It creates a density that visually connects to industrial techniques such as tiling; however, they depict naturalistic foliage with such unnatural tones. This connects back to ideas about nature and fabrication in relation to global ecological degradation. How does d'Errico employ nature in relation to current fabrication industries? Editor: Well, the figure seems almost like a personification of nature, with the leaves and the bees, emphasizing the natural process of birth and also calling to the labor and production inherent to environmental stability. So you think the process is meant to bring this to mind? Curator: Precisely. The medium itself, oil paint, and the way it's handled, contribute to the complex dialogue about process, environment, and also labor. Notice the lack of sharp facial features, almost machine-like production. Editor: That definitely reframes how I initially saw it! I was drawn in by the sort of dreamy feel, but now I see how it encourages a more critical view of consumerism. Thanks! Curator: Exactly! I will never be able to simply appreciate the artistic and artisan labor involved! The medium is the message, so to say.