Circulatory 2021

Editor: Jason Limon’s mixed-media collage, "Circulatory," created in 2021, presents an almost playful, yet unsettling depiction of anatomy and mortality. I’m immediately drawn to the contrasting imagery of the delicate circulatory system juxtaposed with the blunt statement "Go with the Flow" alongside a looming skeleton. How do you interpret this piece and its message? Curator: This artwork engages with potent themes of body politics and the fragility of existence, wrapped within the visual language of pop-surrealism and street art. I think we are asked to consider our bodies not as fixed biological entities but as permeable sites shaped by broader social forces and subject to the inevitable ‘flow’ towards death. Limon’s use of collage is critical; layering diverse media mirrors the layering of experiences, identities, and power dynamics within our bodies. The anatomical depiction is strikingly devoid of flesh and identity. How might we interpret that through a feminist lens? Editor: I see your point about layering, and the feminist lens makes me think about the historical objectification of the female body within scientific and artistic contexts. Could Limon be critiquing that tradition, stripping the body bare to reveal a universal vulnerability beyond gender? Curator: Exactly. He seems to expose the vulnerability inherent in all bodies, whilst reminding us of the constant social pressures acting upon them. The phrase "Go With The Flow" reads less as a zen mantra and more like a reluctant agreement with the system. Consider its relation to, say, Foucauldian ideas about biopower. Do you feel the work embraces or resists those disciplinary forces? Editor: I think it hints at resistance, particularly because of the somewhat rebellious visual language borrowed from graffiti art. It's as if Limon uses that counter-cultural energy to challenge the clinical detachment often associated with anatomical studies. Curator: Absolutely! The piece embodies the ethos of resistance through creative subversion, urging us to dissect the power structures shaping our understanding and experience of our corporeal selves. Editor: This piece really opens a window into the intersection of art, the body, and social critique. Thanks for sharing that perspective. Curator: Indeed. It reminds us of art’s ability to reflect our collective anxieties while inspiring acts of agency and resistance in the face of social pressures.