Lick City Welcome 

Editor: This painting, titled "Lick City Welcome" by Alfred Conteh, shows a contemporary cityscape dominated by a giant bronze figure. The sheer scale difference makes the figure appear both powerful and vulnerable. What are your initial thoughts? Curator: Immediately, I’m drawn to the symbolic weight of that figure, its colossal size echoing ancient deities or titans. Conteh juxtaposes this image with the banality of modern urban life. It feels like a commentary on how cultural memory and the stories of the past are either monumentalized or, perhaps, tragically dwarfed by the present. Does the figure appear triumphant or burdened to you? Editor: I see both. The figure commands attention but also seems weighed down by the patina of age, like it’s bearing the history of the city itself. What kind of history do you think Conteh is referencing here? Curator: Considering the artist's focus on African American identity, I think Conteh is connecting us to ideas of ancestral power. Look at how the city’s architecture – steel and glass, symbols of progress – become almost secondary. The figure challenges our perception of scale and permanence. But where is he directing his gaze? How does this challenge us as viewers? Editor: Maybe it's challenging our sense of whose stories are told and whose are ignored within the urban landscape. I hadn't thought about that. Curator: Precisely. The "welcome" implied in the title seems ironic when considering the figure's imposing stature and somber expression. Do you see this work reflecting on cultural amnesia and its visual effects? Editor: I think so, yes. Now, seeing the city through that lens makes me understand the "Welcome" more ironically, prompting contemplation. Thanks for highlighting all these symbols! Curator: My pleasure! It’s fascinating how an image can simultaneously embody both resilience and marginalization, urging us to look deeper into the layers of meaning embedded within our environment.