Just Me and My Baby 

Editor: Here we have Julie Bell's painting, "Just Me and My Baby", an oil-on-canvas that features an animal portrait of two monkeys. The texture is really something, especially the fur. What really strikes me is the tenderness radiating from the piece. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The work immediately prompts me to consider representation and power dynamics. Consider how figuration and realism traditionally have been tools to assert dominance by, in this case, humanity. But Bell inverts this, drawing a parallel to motherhood present in the human condition. Do you think, therefore, it might also evoke questions around animal rights? Editor: That's a fascinating point! I hadn't considered the element of power at play here. I was mostly thinking about family values. Curator: The two ideas aren't separate, are they? By showing us the emotional life of these animals, the artist subtly demands that we rethink how we interact with and value non-human creatures. Can fine art be activism, or vice-versa? Editor: I guess I hadn’t fully considered the implications of giving them such human-like tenderness in their expressions. Maybe it is a quiet call for empathy, but then where do we draw the line? Curator: Precisely. These kinds of pieces push us to dismantle hierarchies and to critically assess how art can play a crucial role in social transformation. Editor: This has completely shifted my view. I now see so much more than just a mother and child. I appreciate how it touches upon environmental and ethical responsibilities through such a classic form as a portrait. Curator: Yes! I leave with renewed considerations about the politics of care, especially how they are visible within this portrait of such vulnerable non-human animals.