Tea time 

Curator: I find the rawness of this image compelling. It seems charged with narrative and feeling. Editor: Yes, there’s something incredibly immediate about it. The artist here is David Burliuk. While undated, this work, believed to be watercolor and possibly oil on paper, is titled "Tea Time" and is now part of a private collection. Curator: Tea time... or something stronger, perhaps! The iconography suggests a social scene, but the distortion and intense color tell a story that might be edging on the chaotic. That bottle could hold more than tea. The fish, though, seems fairly innocent. Editor: Good point, though this "Tea Time" presents, as you pointed out, conflicting imagery. The Fauvist and Expressionist influence, particularly in the vibrant use of color and distorted forms, creates tension between what’s depicted and how. Consider the cultural context; early 20th century artists using exaggerated forms to comment on the shifting social landscape. Curator: Indeed, look at how the figures are presented. The woman, with her almost caricatured features, seems somewhat withdrawn or perhaps cautious, while the man has this direct almost confrontational gaze. They aren't having "tea" they are caught in the social anxieties of their time. Editor: I’d argue there's more, the color choices amplify that unease. Notice how Burliuk uses bright yellows and contrasting reds that don't blend—the hues seems to fight each other. Curator: Which amplifies a kind of...cultural fragmentation that many artists tried to express in their art by not depicting subjects realistically. By choosing watercolor and maybe oils here, Burliuk's piece may attempt to wash out this disjunction, adding more emotional depth to the picture by how literally unpolished it seems to be. Editor: It really makes you think about how artistic style, combined with symbolism, gives such force to social commentary. Curator: A perspective well reflected by a look at cultural values and societal unrest that are so clearly represented in what looks like a simple tea party scene. Editor: Well put. Thank you!