Six Selenides 1966

Editor: Here we have Felix Labisse's "Six Selenides," painted in 1966. It’s acrylic on canvas and presents a grid of six faces, all rendered in shades of blue. They feel very dreamlike and ethereal, almost alien. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: The dream is a good place to start with Labisse. I like the word 'selenide', referring to a person who might dwell on the moon! There is a cold, somewhat eerie beauty here. These are faces that observe more than interact, don’t you think? Almost like fragmented memories... or perhaps visions from another world? I am curious about what links them or differentiate them. Editor: Absolutely, there’s a strong sense of detachment. What about their slightly geometric quality? Do you think that relates to the modernism of the era? Curator: Perhaps. He painted this in 1966... There's something subtly unsettling about the slight variations in each face, too – the way the eyes differ in color, or the subtle shifts in expression. Did the '60s make him ask deeper question about individuality within a larger collective, in your opinion? Editor: That's a great point! It's like they are versions of a single face. Makes me wonder about identity. Curator: The slight abstraction lets our subconscious complete their story, giving each 'selenide' a unique voice in our minds. Editor: I never considered that, makes me want to research similar portraits and really let my imagination take flight! Curator: Exactly, it's a springboard, this 'Six Selenides,' a portal! The magic is what *you* bring. It's not about *knowing*, is it, my friend? It is about feeling your way through the looking glass!