Eudoxia 2017

Curator: Sofia Bonati's "Eudoxia," created in 2017, is a striking mixed-media portrait. It immediately draws me in with its mesmerizing optical illusion. Editor: I agree. It's unsettling, in a captivating way. The stark monochrome and those swirling lines—it gives the feeling of being pulled inward. What exactly *are* the mixed media components here? Curator: The swirling pattern behind her seems to recall both an optical illusion, like the Op-Art of Bridget Riley, and simultaneously the maze, a traditional symbol of introspection and journey, quite possibly hinting at psychological complexities or the labyrinths of the mind. Editor: Interesting. The surface looks layered; the face and hands rendered with what feels like great care but set against this dizzying ground. This feels meticulously crafted – maybe there is some silkscreen work layered over an initial painted layer, if I had to guess. Is it purely representational, or is the "Eudoxia" a more loaded signifier, hinting at class or industry in any way? Curator: Eudoxia means “good glory” or “repute”. It certainly invokes a historical image of female power, perhaps, but it's re-imagined through a contemporary lens. She appears caught within these dizzying lines, almost overwhelmed, which can suggest modern social pressures perhaps stifling the potential for glory or freedom implied by the name. The labyrinth seems almost embedded within her consciousness. Editor: So, you’re seeing it as this pressure being external – imposed, maybe – but what if it is self-imposed, an obsessive pressure? It also makes me think about the relationship between artist and model: consider what goes into creating this striking visual paradox and capturing a subject under duress within its dizzying construct. Curator: The hand dangling what appears to be a string could also act as the thread through Ariadne, potentially a guide out from the minotaur’s labyrinth! I’m also thinking, perhaps, of the repeating concentric pattern around the figure almost suggesting radio waves or perhaps surveillance... Editor: Right, or thinking more concretely about labor and repetitive work. It's a piece that rewards slower looking, tracing the materials. The starkness lets the materials used carry meaning. Curator: Precisely, there are many interwoven concepts layered, as perhaps there were during the actual work itself! I think this would also invite more nuanced and specific interpretation around historical portrayals of figures and individuals named Eudoxia through the centuries, especially Byzantine Empresses. Editor: Ultimately, this artwork is more than just a visual puzzle; it's an exploration of identity, control, and how those things might get built – materially, historically, psychologically.