Age of Aquarius 2020

Curator: Welcome. We are standing before Lanise Howard’s, "Age of Aquarius", crafted in 2020, using oil paint. What’s your initial impression? Editor: It's striking—a somewhat melancholic pyramid of figures. The cool, muted tones and reflective surface below evoke a sense of gravity, perhaps even a dream-like state. The composition draws your eye upwards. Curator: The pyramid arrangement of bodies is central to understanding Howard’s symbolic framework. The figures, intertwined and vulnerable, appear to represent humanity. She might be commenting on collective reliance and shared experiences as part of the human condition. Editor: Visually, I am captured by how the light and shadow play across the bodies, accentuating their form and musculature. It gives a sculptural quality despite being achieved on a flat surface. How each limb is interwoven feels quite deliberate, almost choreographic. Curator: Indeed. This choice of representation directly challenges established norms within art historical conventions. The variety of skin tones points towards the erasure of communities of color within symbolic portrayals of humanity and society in classic paintings and sculpture. Editor: Looking again at the surface underneath them – that highly polished, reflecting surface below. It acts like a distorted mirror. I wonder, could that water motif signify subconscious thoughts and the necessity of confronting buried issues? Curator: It very well could. Howard’s oeuvre actively questions our awareness surrounding oppressive apparatuses. By merging elements of myth, figuration, and pointed symbolism, the artist generates narratives concerned with power and agency. Editor: Considering the "Age of Aquarius" title, I note how the golden light source emanates from above like a halo, further elevating that visual hierarchy of bodies while seemingly imbuing hope into the lower darkness and muted hues below the figures. Curator: And that symbolic element further connects to themes of spiritual awakening as they’re represented among contemporary discourses surrounding issues related to liberation. She utilizes a Western iconographic form with roots from Renaissance painting to address modern subjects related to race, identity, and freedom. Editor: This artwork rewards careful observation. Thank you for shining a light on it. Curator: My pleasure. Thank you for engaging with "Age of Aquarius" and, by extension, initiating a dialogue around its deeper social and historical echoes.