I, Too, Have Feelings 2017

Editor: This is "I, Too, Have Feelings," a 2017 drawing by Daria Theodora, primarily in colored pencil and ink on paper. I’m immediately struck by the delicate lines and the contrast between the dark background and the figure’s ethereal quality. What jumps out at you? Curator: I see an intriguing commentary on the commodification of the body and the romantic ideal. Note how the artist juxtaposes delicate floral patterns, almost like tattoos, with stark, industrial elements, like the barcode on her back. The means of production—the labor involved in both creating the image with ink and colored pencil, but also the labor hinted at in the body’s adornment and possible objectification, is quite evident. Editor: I didn't consider the barcode as a critique of commodification, that's insightful! The flowy dress, for example, initially seemed purely decorative. Curator: Precisely! But look at how the dress, though rendered with such detail, appears almost like a product, constructed and presented for consumption. The materiality of the ink on paper serves as a physical manifestation of this tension between natural beauty, as hinted at in the title, and industrial reproduction. What do you think about the integration of traditional art techniques with contemporary themes? Editor: I guess I always separate the two; however, this brings to the surface the labor behind the drawing itself—all the time and care put into something that ultimately becomes an object for consumption. Curator: Absolutely. The artwork reminds us that artistic production, like any other form of labor, is deeply embedded in a network of materials, processes, and societal forces. Consider how our appreciation and understanding of this artwork shifts when we move beyond traditional aesthetic boundaries and engage with the politics inherent in the act of creating. Editor: Wow, seeing how you connect the dots about how material and labor comment on cultural context is so informative and made me appreciate the artist's choice of details to strengthen their commentary.