Odin 

Editor: Here we have Julie Bell's "Odin," an oil painting depicting a wolf, likely created around 2007 based on the signature. It has an almost photographic quality to it. What's most striking to you about this piece? Curator: From a materialist perspective, it's intriguing how the artist elevates the "common" subject matter through meticulous application of oil paint, traditionally a medium associated with wealth and power. Bell appropriates this historically charged material, transforming it into a hyper-realistic portrait of a wolf. The choice of oil, and the evident skill in rendering the texture of the fur, challenges traditional hierarchies of artistic subject matter. It prompts a discussion: what does it mean to create something so meticulously crafted from such costly materials when it depicts a creature often perceived as existing outside the realm of high culture? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn’t really thought about the connection between the materials themselves and how they frame our view of the subject. Curator: Precisely. And think about the labor involved in achieving this level of detail. What is the role of labour in a portrait like this? Is Bell elevating her labor? Editor: Yes, that's a great question. The craftsmanship clearly demands significant time and skill. Could we say she's drawing a parallel between the inherent value of artistic labour and the often-overlooked intrinsic worth of the natural world? Curator: It's a strong possibility. The materials are speaking not only about the subject but also about how we consume images, value labor, and assign worth within our cultural framework. How the artwork reflects our modern social system. Editor: I learned a lot about this painting’s social and material context. I would not have considered it if it were not for you! Curator: My pleasure! Thinking about art through its materiality can bring exciting insights.