Apple Bandana 2020

Curator: Monica Ikegwu’s portrait, “Apple Bandana,” completed in 2020, presents a compelling figure against a striking monochrome background. Editor: The immediate impression I get is one of guarded optimism – there’s a proud tilt to the head, but the deep reds also feel intense and potentially confrontational. Curator: It's fascinating how you perceive that tension. The portrait, on the surface, is undeniably modern – glasses, a quilted jacket, what looks like a wireless earbud. It speaks to a very specific moment in contemporary identity. The monochrome background almost thrusts this very current figure out to meet the viewers gaze. But there’s an undercurrent here relating to who is seen, and what are the politics of being seen. Editor: I am immediately drawn to the glasses themselves – and how central eyewear has become in signifying both intelligence and coolness. Think about how many historical figures known for their brilliance are symbolized, almost caricatured, by spectacles. They denote intellect, perhaps rebellion against conventional sight. And then, the wireless earbuds. They represent, of course, access to an almost limitless library of aural information. But on the flip side also the ability to ignore. Curator: Absolutely, the glasses have definitely acquired historical depth; their symbolism weaves in so many different narratives. This also raises the question of accessibility. Who can afford to project this image and benefit from its signifiers? How does class intersect with race in the reading of this portrait? And I wonder, do we see in the upward gaze agency or is the young subject also under constant surveillance and judgement? Editor: Well, if you look beyond the items of modern identity the work also evokes familiar traditions and poses of formal portraiture that have dominated in artistic contexts for centuries. Curator: Agreed, and the contemporary elements provide a crucial point of divergence, almost like a key through which we can decode entrenched codes. Thinking about the symbolism and access to technology really brings this work into focus. Editor: A powerful reading. Looking closely I think this work definitely repays closer viewing!