Strange Magic 

Editor: Cassidy Rae Marietta's painting, "Strange Magic," made with acrylic paint, strikes me as a fascinating jumble of life and death, sensuality and…skeletons. The composition feels incredibly dense and dreamlike. What's your initial interpretation of this rather wild concoction? Curator: Ah, "wild concoction" – I love that. For me, this piece vibrates with a certain…cheekiness. It’s playing with these very ancient symbols – death, desire – but in this hyper-contemporary, almost Pop Art-informed way. It reminds me of a tarot card designed by a particularly mischievous deity. All of those swirling shapes feel like pure energy. Is it erotic energy? Creative? Maybe both are different sides of the same shiny coin. What do you make of the elephant up top? Editor: A mischievous deity! That's fantastic. The elephant seems oddly…cheerful, juxtaposed with the skeleton. It makes me wonder if Marietta is exploring the cyclical nature of existence, perhaps? A lighthearted acceptance of mortality? Curator: Exactly! Or even poking fun at it. Death is this great taboo, but here it's rendered almost comical, a bony embrace within a kaleidoscope of the absurd. What’s amazing is how she’s able to weave in these serious themes – mortality, sexuality – without a trace of heavy-handedness. Editor: I see what you mean. It's thought-provoking without being preachy, which is a tricky balance to strike. The "cheekiness" is key, like a wink amidst the serious symbolism. Curator: Indeed. And that, for me, is the strange magic of it all – the alchemical blending of humor, the erotic, and the slightly macabre. It's a reminder not to take ourselves too seriously, even in the face of… well, you know. Editor: Definitely a fresh perspective. I am going to leave with more than a few things to contemplate. Thank you!