No Mercy for the Downtrodden 2021

Curator: So, we're looking at Daria Theodora’s 2021 acrylic painting, "No Mercy for the Downtrodden." It strikes me as both delicate and… burdened. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: I'm drawn to the dreamy quality, but also there’s this sense of melancholy. I love the detail in the figure and the tiger, the application of paint is really skillful. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Let’s consider the artist’s material choices. Theodora’s use of acrylic allows for these intense colors and precise details. What labor goes into creating this hyper-real, yet fantasy-like space? Think about the societal pressure of being “downtrodden”, what sort of materials are linked to the depiction of marginalized communities? Is this fantasy then speaking back to the economic state? Editor: So, you're saying that the painting’s escapist aesthetic comments on, and is actually shaped by, socioeconomic realities? I hadn’t considered that! Curator: Precisely. How does the labor and materials – like the delicate detail and color choice in the flower adornments on the tiger's body and human’s garment - act as a critique of power structures, by making visible certain types of materials and art practices? Are "craft" supplies like acrylic often sidelined? Editor: Absolutely. And it makes you think about who has access to those materials and the time to use them. It elevates acrylic from the world of hobby-craft into the domain of capital-"A" Art! Curator: Exactly! This shift of context questions established hierarchies and makes the creative labor involved all the more visible. Editor: That makes so much sense! I didn't think about how something as seemingly straightforward as the choice of acrylic could be so loaded with meaning. Curator: Well, it goes to show how deeply intertwined the materials and process of art are with social realities.