Endless Flight 

Editor: So, this piece is called "Endless Flight" by Sarah Joncas; it looks like it's an acrylic painting. I’m really struck by how the figure looms over this miniature cityscape, with hot air balloons floating about. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The piece immediately reads to me as a comment on power dynamics within urban spaces. The woman, rendered in this almost hyper-realistic style, towers over the buildings. The choice of air balloons, rather than airplanes for example, adds a touch of whimsy, but doesn’t distract from her dominating presence. Who occupies and controls these spaces and how is it represented? This work feels deeply connected to that discourse. Editor: That’s a good point about the balloons adding whimsy. I initially saw them as symbols of escape, but now I see that the escape is carefully curated against the backdrop of urban expansion. Could it also be about gentrification, perhaps? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the miniature homes at the very bottom of the picture plane compared to the high-rise buildings, it feels as if we’re looking at a landscape that's gradually becoming gentrified. This is all under the silent, almost eerie gaze of our main figure. Does her neutrality concern you, or do you interpret it as a sign of powerlessness? Editor: That’s a question I hadn't considered. Perhaps the endless flight isn't an escape, but a cycle of displacement. I learned that power isn't always loud. Sometimes, it's a quiet, looming presence. Curator: Indeed, art, and this painting especially, is so potent as a mirror reflecting back to society these power structures so we are prompted to dissect and engage.