Waves of Change 

Editor: We are looking at Cassidy Rae Marietta’s "Waves of Change." It's an illustration with striking patterns and figures. It gives me a very psychedelic feel because of its dense composition. What stands out to you, formally speaking? Curator: Immediately, the high contrast of the black and white linework draws my eye. Notice how the undulating bands in the background both flatten and deepen the space, creating a visual push and pull. The foregrounded figures are rendered with equally intricate botanical and ocular motifs that disrupt any easy reading of form and depth. Editor: That’s a great point about the flattened space. What’s the effect of flattening and deepening happening simultaneously? Curator: It destabilizes the composition. The figures, seemingly central, are absorbed by the larger pattern. Consider the symbolism here. The all-seeing eyes and flourishing plant life are rendered as a second skin on the figures and may encourage reflections on exposure and transformation. Editor: Interesting! I was so caught up in the swirling background, I missed how detailed the figures were. Is there a relationship, then, between what’s in the background versus foreground, considering the contrast you mentioned? Curator: Precisely. The rhythmic repetition of the background waves against the organic, detailed patterning of the figures creates a tension. This may hint at the push-and-pull of internal and external worlds or natural forces in concert with introspection. Editor: This definitely made me look at how the artist strategically plays with the composition as a whole rather than in separate pieces, giving me a new way of thinking about their approach! Curator: Indeed! And such attentiveness to the relationship between the component parts of this composition rewards our focus.