Have you ever been lost 

Editor: So, here we have Fernanda Suarez’s “Have you ever been lost.” It's undated but appears contemporary, a digital painting showing a portrait. The mood feels introspective, perhaps melancholic, intensified by her expression and the soft textures of the clothing. How do you read it? Curator: The materiality strikes me first. The soft rendering of the red, animal-print cardigan contrasts sharply with the sheer bra and the textured wall behind. Consider this in terms of production – digital painting mimics tactile textures but negates the labor involved in weaving or physically painting those surfaces. Where does the ‘hand’ reside then? It questions our traditional valuation of handmade labor. Editor: That's interesting, because I was drawn to the intimate, almost vulnerable, presentation of the figure. The textures contribute to that sense of exposure, as well as her gaze. Is the intention to invoke that awareness of the female form or…? Curator: It might be a response, precisely, to contemporary forms of portraiture widely disseminated through social media; so often a hyper-idealized representation. Suarez emphasizes material signifiers like makeup smudges, loose hair, the everyday quality of the clothing, things typically edited or cropped away. This can become read, as a resistance toward what one might consider ‘carefully curated' online images. How does this contrast highlight current modes of art consumption and how value is being defined today? Editor: That makes me think about how easily digital art is reproduced and shared versus more traditional forms. Curator: Exactly! This ease challenges notions of authenticity and ownership in the digital realm, impacting how artists are compensated and how viewers engage with art. The 'aura' of the artwork as something unique, valuable, and physical changes substantially, it democratizes distribution as much as it affects value and reception of labour and art production. Editor: I never considered the social and economic implications of digital techniques this way before. It highlights how the meaning of a work changes with its production. Curator: Precisely. Considering materials and production reveals a lot about its cultural place and effect.