Tabitha #9 2011

Editor: Here we have Lu Cong’s “Tabitha #9,” created in 2011. It's a painting of a young woman with incredibly pale skin against what appears to be a clouded sky. There’s something both classical and very modern about the style, making me wonder about its influences. How do you interpret this portrait, considering its historical and contemporary context? Curator: It strikes me as engaging with a long history of representing women, particularly within the framework of idealized beauty standards. What is fascinating here is to consider the contemporary gaze and how that’s changed – or hasn’t changed – what we expect from a female portrait. Consider how this work might interact with contemporary fashion photography. Editor: Fashion photography, that's interesting. It feels almost…too real for that. Curator: In what sense too real? Is it the unflinching gaze, or something else? The artist's hyper-realism perhaps reflects a broader commentary on constructed identities, which are prevalent on social media nowadays, don't you think? How does it echo or challenge our mediated reality? Editor: I hadn't thought about that aspect, the idea of challenging this perfect version we’re used to seeing online. It seems to offer vulnerability through the realism instead. Curator: Precisely! This tension between an apparent simplicity and complex social implications is the power of such works. It prompts us to reflect on representation, perception, and the underlying forces shaping them. Editor: That's given me a lot to think about in relation to other portraits I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing this perspective! Curator: My pleasure! Reflecting on the social and historical currents informing a seemingly straightforward image can be remarkably revealing.