There must be an Angel 

Curator: Editor: "There Must Be an Angel" by Michael Parkes appears to be a drawing, perhaps with pencil and watercolour on toned paper. The overall tone is very soft and delicate, and it depicts a winged figure embracing a woman. What do you see in this piece, beyond the surface? Curator: This piece whispers of the loaded symbolism inherent in representations of angels throughout art history. These figures often stand in for complex, intersectional ideas: power, otherness, and the divine, yes, but also patriarchal structures. Considering the gaze in the image and the woman's vulnerability, how does this image interact with and perhaps challenge typical power dynamics present when such figures are depicted together? Editor: I see what you mean about power. The angel seems protective, but the woman looks almost melancholic. Do you think Parkes is critiquing the traditional, often male-dominated, celestial hierarchy? Curator: It's possible. And the inclusion of symbolism and "fantasy art" leads us to ask: Whose fantasy are we witnessing? The male artist? Is the woman afforded agency, or is she a passive element within his imaginative world? Are her feelings important beyond an aesthetic gesture? Consider this in relation to the history of the female nude in art, for example. Editor: So, viewing it through this lens really makes me think about the agency, or lack thereof, given to the female figure and the power dynamics being represented here. Curator: Precisely. Art gives us a great chance to have complex discussions. By questioning these dynamics, we open avenues for meaningful interpretation. Editor: I never would have looked at it that way at first glance. Thanks!